Princess of the Night
by Martian Manhuntress
Summary: Batman and the Justice League meet a six-century-old Gargoyle named Neona. Batman soon learns of her shadowed past and gets to know her, falling in love. But when Neona's life-long rival appears, will she gain the help of the Justice League to defeat th


Princess of the Night

****

Chapter 1

Batman was patrolling the streets of Gotham, as he had for countless nights since he had taken up his cape and cowl. Tonight, however, he felt…different, as if someone was watching him. The Dark Knight was not used to this feeling, and he detested it.  
As if in answer to his detested feeling, Batman noticed a winged figure fly past him through the skies of Gotham. The figure couldn't be Hawkgirl; the Winged Warrior rarely flew at night, and the wings of this figure were webbed, mush like those of a bat. The Caped Crusader realized that the figure could be Man-Bat, and he quickly gave chase.  
The figure zigzagged through the tall skyscrapers of downtown Gotham, gliding easily on its webbed wings. Weaving through the city, Batman followed in the Batwing, swiftly closing the distance between him and his prey.  
As Batman caught up to the figure, he noticed that the creature was a female. Her thick, body-length wings were unlike those of the notorious Man-Bat; her long, muscular tail looked much like that of a kangaroo; her slender yet muscular arms were separated from her graceful wings; and her glowing red eyes, that Batman noticed as he flew beside the creature, seemed to look into his very soul. Of course, the Dark Knight was used to this look, as his friend Jason Blood had shown him Etrigan the Demon, who also had such a look in his eyes.  
Just then, the creature lost her equilibrium. She dangled in the air, held up by one wing as the other hung limply at her side. Without warning, the creature fell out of the sky, plummeting to her inevitable death. She struggled to regain her balance, but to no avail. Seconds from death, the creature called out to the Dark Knight.  
"Batman!" she cried. "Batman, help me! Please!" Batman, surprised and unable to think clearly, just stared. "Batman, don't let me die! Not like your parents.  You made a vow. You promised not to let anyone die if you could prevent it. Have you forgotten already the solemn vow you made to your parents' grave? You can't let me die, you just can't! Please, save me, please?"  
Bruce Wayne sat straight up in his bed. Cold sweat ran down his face as the end of the dream replayed itself over and over in his mind. Who was the creature that had been in his dream? How had she known so much about his past? Why had she been watching him? What had happened to her to cause her to fall out of the sky? And the most terrifying question that he asked himself: why hadn't he tried to save her?

Chapter 2

At the Watchtower...  
The Leaguers were all meeting to discuss the disappearance of many world leaders.  
"The English, Russian, French, and Japanese Prime Ministers, as well as our own President, have gone missing," Superman announced sadly. "Batman has informed me that Star Sapphire, the Shade, and Poison Ivy are behind this horrible act. However, he believes they were hired by someone. We've got to find out who hired them, where and when they will strike next, and where they're holding the hostages."  
"So, what's the plan, big guy?" Flash asked.  
"Flash, Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl, you try to find the hostages," Superman said. "Diana, J'onn and I will try to find out who hired them. Batman, your job will be to try to find out where and when they will strike next. Does everyone understand their roles?" Each League member acknowledged their understanding. "All right, it's settled then. Let's get started. Oh, Batman, stay here for a moment. I need to talk to you." All of the Leaguers, save Batman and Superman, left the meeting room and got ready to carry out their tasks.  
"What do you want?" Batman snapped.  
"You seem really...well...tired lately," Superman said cautiously. "Are you okay?"  
"I'm fine," the Dark Knight lied.   
"All right," Superman answered skeptically. He walked in the direction his team had gone in. Batman watched him leave, angry that his old friend would doubt him like that. He then made his way to the docking bay. Walking to the Batwing, he entered the plane and flew back to Gotham.  
Reaching the Batcave, Batman made his way to the large computer and started typing away. Soon, the images of the three villains Superman had told the team about popped up on the screen. Batman studied the profiles he had on each of the villains, trying to anticipate their next move. As he stared at the screen, Batman's vision blurred. Raising his hand in front of his eyes, his vision got no better. He felt lightheaded, but he would not allow himself to fall prey to his fatigue. He blinked his eyes a few times, clearing his vision.  
"Master Bruce, will you be needing anything tonight?" Alfred asked, reaching the bottom of the steps that led to the Batcave.  
"Thank you, Alfred, but no," came the Dark Knight's reply. "I will be fine toni--" Before he could finish, Batman fell off his chair and collapsed in a heap on the floor of the cave.  
"Master Bruce!" Alfred cried, racing over to the Caped Crusader. "Master Bruce, wake up!" Alfred shook his master's lifeless body, unable to wake him.

Chapter 3

As Alfred took Batman up to the main floor of the mansion, a pair of glowing red eyes glowed through the darkness from the far side of the cave, following the butler as he made his way to the stairs. Once he was out of sight, a dark, winged figure soared across the chasms of the Batcave and landed next to the computer. Quickly jotting down a bit of important information, the cloaked figure entered a short message into the computer, set a vile next to the keyboard, then flew back into the shadows of the cave. Finding the tunnel into which the Batmobile is driven to leave the Batcave, the figure flew into the night sky.

  
Batman slowly regained consciousness. He opened his eyes, put his hand to his head, and slowly sat up. He was in his bedroom, and the shirt and cowl of his costume had been removed. Alfred walked into the room.  
"Thank goodness," he said as he rushed to his master's side. "I was worried sick about you, Master Bruce."  
"What happened, Alfred?" Batman asked, his head swimming.  
"I'm not sure," the butler answered. "You just collapsed in a heap in the Batcave I brought you up here right away. You've drifted in and out of consciousness for the past two hours. I was beginning to wonder if you would ever recover." Batman couldn't believe it. What had happened to him?  
"Did I get any calls from any of the other League members?" he asked quickly, remembering the task at hand.  
"No," Alfred replied. The Dark Knight breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing he needed was for the others to think he was unable to perform his duties. He then got out of the bed and made his way to the door.  
"Master Bruce," Alfred said anxiously. "Are you sure that you're well enough to be up and about so soon?"  
"I'll be fine, Alfred," Batman reassured him. "But now I have work to do." He made his way down the secret staircase into the Batcave. He got to the computer to continue finding out about the villains' next target. As he began typing, a message popped up onto the screen.

"Batman:  
The villains will be meeting in Poison Ivy's lair in Gotham City tonight at 11:00 p.m. Be cautious in your approach of the building, and beware of traps. They will be expecting one of the Leaguers to try to break up their meeting.  
The Shade, Star Sapphire, and Poison Ivy were all hired by Lex Luthor, who will be at the meeting tonight as well. Meet me atop the tallest skyscraper next to the hideout. I will be there waiting for you. Trust me, you'll know me when you see me.  
Oh, one more thing. The reason you collapsed earlier was that Ivy hired someone to get you out of the way. She had someone poison you. Luckily, I found the antidote. It's in the vile next to the keyboard. Don't be suspicious, take it right away. Your life may depend on it.  
See you tonight, and don't forget."

Batman looked skeptically at the vile filled with blue liquid. He then tried to trace the source of the message, but there was none. Whoever had written the message had written it on his computer, and had also been watching him. That could only mean one thing: whoever wrote the message knew who he was...

Chapter 4

It was 10:48 p.m. Batman waited on the roof of the skyscraper, remembering the message. Who could have written it? How had they gotten into the Batcave? How had they known what had happened to him? "Do you always ask so many questions?" came a voice from behind him. The Dark Knight whirled around to see what appeared to be a monster, but he knew better. She was a Gargoyle, an ancient race of nocturnal creatures that turned to stone in the sunlight.  
"How did you get into the Batcave?" he asked her sternly.   
"A girl's got to have her secrets," answered the Gargoyle casually. "My name's Neona. As you probably know, I'm a Gargoyle. I've been watching these villains for some time. When I found out that you and the Justice League were trying to stop them, I decided to help out. I'm not sure yet where they're keeping the world leaders, but..."  
"Wait," Batman interrupted her. "How did you know we were trying to stop them?"  
"I'm a telepath, much like the Martian," Neona answered. "I was curious about why you went up to the Watchtower, so I read your mind and found out. Also, I've known that you were Batman since you took up your cape and cowl. I agree with your choice of a symbol. The bat is a creature that strikes fear into the hearts of many, as you well know. Now, save the rest of your many questions for later. Right now, we should be staking out the hideout." The Gargoyle then turned to watch the street below. Batman stared at her through the slits in his mask, realizing that he would have much to learn about this new psychic. Then he also looked down the side of the building, watching and waiting.   
A dark figure walked slowly and cautiously out of the shadows in the alleyway and approached Poison Ivy's lair. Looking to both sides to make sure no one was watching, the figure pressed a screw on the side of the doorknob and a small keyboard popped out of the wall next to the door.  
"That's my cue," said the Gargoyle as she opened her large wings and glided down to the figure. Noticing the giant shadow engulfing her, Star Sapphire turned around, causing the cloak around her to fall to the ground. She saw the Gargoyle descending on her and opened fire with her jewel. Neona easily dodged the pink beams of light and sped up to attack the villain.  
Batman shot a grappling line to the building and prepared to join Neona in her attack. Just then, he noticed the Gargoyle waver, her left wing limp at her side.  
'No,' he thought, watching in horror as the scene unfolded below him. 'It's just like my dream. She'll fall to her death, all the while begging me to save her.' The Dark Knight couldn't move, frozen with fear. He recounted the images of his dream--the dark figure struggling to regain equilibrium as she fell out of the sky, just as Neona was now; the fear he felt, the helplessness; and the horror of not knowing why he wouldn't save her.   
Now, he couldn't just stand by and watch, knowing what would happen if he did. He swung on the grappling line just as Neona fell. He reached the flailing Gargoyle and caught her, just seconds from her death. As he measured the shot for his next line, he heard a gunshot. Looking back, he saw Poison Ivy standing next to the door of her lair, holding a gun and laughing. Batman looked up at his line just in time to see it break in two. He gasped as he began to fall to his inevitable death..........

Chapter 5

Poison Ivy looked on in triumph as Batman was freefalling through the air, still holding Neona. The Dark Knight clutched the comatose body of the Gargoyle closer to his body, preparing to shield her from the impact.  
As Ivy looked on in anger, her victory was shattered when the Martian Manhunter flew toward the falling figures. He caught them easily and quickly carried them to safety.  
"Thanks, J'onn," said Batman as the Martian flew him to the Batcave.  
"Think nothing of it," he replied. "What happened?" "I don't know," the Dark Knight said honestly. "She fell out of the sky, as if her wing just gave way." He looked down at the unconscious Gargoyle, worrying for her and anxiously checking her vital signs. She was in bad shape.  
That Martian and the Caped Crusader remained silent for the rest of the time until they reached the Batcave. The Martian then set Batman down to the ground and followed him to the Batwing.  
"What are you planning on doing?" J'onn asked. Batman handed him Neona's comatose body, and J'onn gingerly cradled her in his arms. Batman opened the hatch to the Batwing and motioned for J'onn to get in the back seat. As the Martian did so, the Dark Knight got into the cockpit and fired up the engine. He then entered the coordinates for the Watchtower and the jet took off.  
"We're going to take her to the Watchtower's medical bay," Batman explained. "It has better equipment than the Batcave does. And from what I can tell, she's got a lot more wrong with her than just a wounded wing." J'onn had to agree. The Gargoyle's once navy blue skin was now a pale grayish-blue and cold to the touch. Her breathing came in shallow gasps.  
"Her condition is deteriorating," J'onn noted, announcing the fact to Batman "We had better hurry if we hope to save her."  
"Do you know what could cause something like this?" the Dark Knight asked his friend.  
"I believe she has been poisoned," the Martian said. "And it is a fast-acting poison, possible designed specifically for use on her. In order to create and antidote, I will need a sample of the poison."  
"That can be arranged," Batman said in reply. "After I get you two to the Watchtower, I'll go back and search for clues. Once I find something, and I will, I'll bring it directly back for you to create the antidote." As the Batwing approached the Watchtower, Batman entered the docking sequence. Once safely inside the docking bay, he opened the hatch and allowed J'onn to exit the craft with Neona. As the Martian quickly made his way to the medical bay, the Caped Crusader returned to Gotham City.  
Reaching the street where the attack had taken place, Batman put on his night-vision goggles and began to search for whatever had hit the Gargoyle. Hearing the movement of a door handle, Batman quickly took cover in the shadows next to the building. He heard voices as the villains each left the meeting that had taken place there.  
"What do you think happened to her?" came the voice of the Shade.  
"There's no way they'll be able to save her in time," Poison Ivy announced triumphantly. "That poison will directly attack her nervous system and render her helpless to our next attack."  
"You'd better be right," snapped Lex Luthor. "If that Gargoyle gets in our way, there won't be much of a chance of victory. Lord Argon has assured us of this. She is the one creature who can stop his rise to power. We cannot let that happen."

Chapter 6

'Who is this Argon?' Batman thought to himself. 'Did Neona know about him? If so, why didn't she tell me anything about him? It would appear I have many more questions to ask this knew ally.'  
Batman remained in the shadows until he heard the voices diminish as the villains each left. He stepped back into the street, only to come face to face with Star Sapphire. At first, the both of them stared at each other in surprise. Then, as Sapphire attempted to hit the Dark Knight with an energy beam, he dodged it and hit her in the back of the head, sending her to her knees.  
Batman stood over the body of the fallen Star Sapphire. Removing the jewel from her mask, he slipped it into a slot on his Utility Belt and picked the woman up by the front of her shirt.  
"Unhand me!" she snapped at him.  
"First," Batman said, "tell me what you did to the Gargoyle and why."  
"She is the enemy," came the reply.  
"Don't give me that," Batman spat at her angrily. "For all you knew, she was coming to help you."  
"I'm not talking," the woman snarled defiantly.  
"Then I guess I have no reason to give this jewel back to you," Batman said, holding the jewel in front of her face mockingly.  
"All right, I'll talk," she reluctantly answered. "Luthor hired me, as you must know, and that's one of the things he paid me to do."  
"What did you do to her?" the Dark Knight demanded, speaking of Neona.  
"One poison dart through her left wing," the villain replied without hesitation. "Supplied by Poison Ivy. But you already guessed that, didn't you?" Batman dropped the jewel to the wet street and, releasing his grip of Star Sapphire, stepped back into the shadows. Once again putting on the night-vision goggles, the Dark Knight scanned the streets, now knowing what he was in search of.   
Looking to the spot where Neona would have landed, had he not saved her, Batman noticed a small, dark object on the pavement. He cautiously stepped into the street and, taking out a small plastic bag, carefully picked up the tiny dart lying there. He stared at the point, lined with a grayish liquid, for a few minutes, then put the dart in the bag, which he put in one of the pockets of his Utility Belt. He then hurried back to where he had landed the Batwing. Entering the vehicle, he took off for the Watchtower.

Chapter 7

Back at the Watchtower...  
J'onn had hooked Neona up to life support. He was working furiously to stabilize her condition at the least, start to cure her at best. It was a very difficult job, as there was not much information on Gargoyle physiology. Just then, Flash walked into the infirmary.  
"Hey J'onn," the Scarlet Speedster greeted him casually. "Whatcha up to...Holy crap! Who...WHAT...?"  
"Her name is Neona," the Martian answered, still hard at work. "She's a Gargoyle and may be able to help us with the disappearance of the world leaders. She has been poisoned."  
"Who did this to her?!" Flash yelled, enraged. "Whoever did this is gonna pay! Just look at her! She's a hottie!" "Batman is trying to find that out as we speak," J'onn replied, shaking his head at Flash's immaturity. "He should return shortly, though. He was searching for any sort of clue he might find. He hopes to find the weapon used to do this, in order for us to make an antidote." As he said this, Batman walked through the door into the infirmary, holding something in his hand.  
"I've found it," he said. "This is the dart that hit her. It's lined with some sort of poison." He handed the bag to J'onn, who took it and went straight to a microscope to analyze it. Batman quickly made his way to Neona's side, taking her hand in his and staring at her.  
"Hey, Bats," Flash greeted the Dark Knight. "Your girlfriend's a real hottie," he whispered, winking to his comrade. "It's not like that," Batman said hurriedly, blushing under his mask.  
"Perfect," Flash said, rubbing his hands together, "she's single."   
Batman gave Flash a harsh look, causing him to fall silent.   
"Fine, I can see I'm not wanted here," the Scarlet Speedster said. He stormed out of the room, kicking the door as it closed behind him. "Ow!" he yelled, clutching his foot in pain. "Jeeze, those doors are hard! Ow!" His muffled curses could be heard as he made his way down the hall.

Chapter 8

"This is unlike anything I have ever seen," J'onn said, ignoring Flash's yells. "It seems that this poison was, in fact, created for some creature with a very different genetic makeup than that of any creature I have ever encountered. It has all the components needed to destroy substances containing iridium. Neona's blood contains iridium, so I conclude that this poison was specifically designed to kill her, since iridium is rare on the Earth's surface."  
"J'onn, have you ever heard of a creature called Argon?" Batman asked, remembering the conversation he had heard among the villains.  
"Not that I recall," the Martian answered, working furiously to find a way to reverse the effects of the poison. "Why do you ask?"  
"When I went back to Ivy's lair, the villains were just leaving their meeting," the Dark Knight answered. "Luthor spoke of a 'Lord Argon'. I am curious as to who would have enough influence to have Luthor under his control."  
"Yes, that is the question," remarked J'onn as he studied the effects of the poison on a sample of Neona's blood that he had taken. He looked up from the microscope and stared at Batman, a look of horror on his face.  
"J'onn?" Batman asked anxiously. "What is it, J'onn?"  
"This poison is made with lanthanumite," the Martian said in a hushed voice. "It is a rare element created from lanthanum that works to directly dissolve iridium, which makes up the majority of the material in Neona's blood. If we don't find a way to reverse the effects of the poison, she will die in a few hours."

Chapter 9

Batman's eyes widened in shock. He had just met Neona, and she had trusted him with so much information. He couldn't just stand by and watch as she died...could he?  
The Dark Knight walked over to the Gargoyle and stood by her bedside. Looking down at her pale body, he placed a hand gently on her shoulder. He then turned back to J'onn.  
"Can you read her mind?" Batman asked slowly. "Reading her mind may be the quickest way to find out how to cure her."  
"I shall try," the Martian answered, preparing himself mentally for the inevitable pain that would come with reading the dying Gargoyle's mind. He approached the bed and carefully placed his hands on either side of Neona's head. He concentrated hard on the strong-willed mind of the girl. He searched the century-old thoughts, and then the wave of pain finally hit him. Struggling to regain his composure, J'onn refused to end his search, no matter how great the pain was. He knew he bore only a fraction of the pain the Gargoyle was enduring.  
Finally, the pain became too much for the Martian to bear. He collapsed in the effort, clutching his head. Batman caught J'onn before he fell to the ground and helped him to his feet.  
"J'onn, are you all right?" he asked worriedly.  
"I will be fine," the Martian said, still clutching at his temples. "I know how to save her. We need liquid kryptonite." As J'onn said this, Flash re-entered the room, followed closely by Superman and Wonder Woman.  
"See! I told you!" Flash cried, pointing at the bed on which Neona lay. "There she is!"  
"What's this all about?" Superman asked.  
"I'll get the kryptonite, J'onn," Batman offered. He walked out of the room, leaving the Martian to explain the situation.  
"J'onn, are you going to tell us what's going on?" Superman asked impatiently.  
"I suggest we wait for Green Lantern and Hawkgirl to arrive," J'onn said. "They should be coming back shortly." The Martian again set to work on Neona, hoping that they had found the information in time to save the Gargoyle. Flash walked toward the bed and looked over J'onn's shoulder. He watched as the Martian issued some medication to Neona through the IV attached to her wrist.  
"What's that?" Flash asked curiously.  
"It should help to slow the effects of the poison," was the only answer J'onn would give. He didn't take his eyes off Neona's helpless form.  
"Sorry we took so long," Green Lantern said, entering the room. "We got a little held up on our way back." He looked over to where J'onn and Flash were standing over the Gargoyle. "What's going on?" Hawkgirl, following him into the room, nodded, showing her interest as well.  
"All right, now I will explain," J'onn said, approaching the group. "Batman got a message about the villains responsible for the disappearance of the world leaders. The message spoke of where they would be meeting. Batman was skeptical about where the message came from, she he asked me to come along with him. When he met the Gargoyle you see here, she introduced herself as Neona. She then explained how she sent the message, and how she knew when and where the villains would be meeting. She was shot by Poison Ivy with a poison-lined dart and is dying. Studying the poison, I have found that it was designed for one purpose: to destroy her."  
"Do you know who told Ivy to do this?" Superman asked.  
"Apparently," J'onn continued, "Batman overheard Poison Ivy, Star Sapphire, Shade, and Lex Luthor as they left their meeting. He heard them speak of someone called Argon. We believe that Neona may know who Argon is."  
"And you know how to cure her?" Diana asked anxiously.  
"Strangely, kryptonite is the only thing that I know of that will be able to destroy the lanthanumite in her bloodstream without harming her," J'onn replied. "It will also attach itself to the iridium also contained in her blood, protecting her from future attacks and becoming a part of her."  
"How do you know this?" Hawkgirl questioned.  
"Jeeze, you guys," Flash said. "What is this, twenty questions? Lay off a bit!"  
"It's fine, Flash," the Martian assured him. "I read her mind in order to find out how to help her. She knows that kryptonite will save her. She is in great pain, and she is quickly dying. We must hurry in order to save her. That is why Batman already left to get kryptonite."  
"Can she be trusted?" Lantern asked suspiciously.  
"Yes," J'onn responded assuredly. "I can substantiate her claims. She seems to genuinely want to help us. For someone like her, that is a rare thing."  
The Leaguers discussed the situation for another half hour. They all turned to face the Gargoyle when they heard her let out a small cry of pain. J'onn hurried to her bedside, took her hand in one of his, and touched her forehead with the other. His orange eyes glowed brightly as he read her mind.  
"We haven't much time left," he said turning to face the other Leaguers. "She is growing weaker and weaker by the minute."  
"We should check on Batman," Superman remarked. "He's been gone a long time. He should be back by now." J'onn's eyes glowed once more as he tried to reach the Dark Knight telepathically. A look of concern crossed his face as his eyes stopped glowing.  
"Batman is on his way back," the Martian announced, "But something has gone wrong. A skirmish took place in the Batcave between him and a strange creature. He barely escaped with Alfred."  
"Who could have gotten into the Batcave?" Flash asked as he sat beside Neona's bed. "I don't even know how to get in!"  
"That's a good question," Superman said with apprehension. "We'd better by prepared for the worst. Flash and Diana, both of you go to the docking bay and wait for Batman to get here."  
"Right," the two of them agreed. Flash picked up Diana and sped with her to the docking bay.  
"I though you might want a lift," he said, grinning broadly.  
"Uh...thanks, Flash," Diana said uneasily. They reached the bay within seconds. "You can put me down now," the Amazon said tensely. Flash set her down and blushed. Just then, the large hatch opened and the Batwing could be seen, beginning to dock. Once the jet was docked and the door was closed, Flash and Diana hurried over as the top hatch opened. Flash looked inside the cockpit and a wave of shock and worry flowed through him. He saw Batman lying there, unconscious, lacerations on his head and sides gushing blood.  
"Oh my gosh!" he cried in a quiet voice. "Who...who could have...done this..."

Chapter 10

"Flash?" Diana asked, looking into the cockpit. "Great Hera..." she gasped. "Flash, get him to J'onn, quickly!" Flash nodded and, scooping Batman's comatose body into his arms, ran as fast as he could to the infirmary. Diana then turned to Alfred.  
"Are you all right?" she asked him.  
"Yes, I am fine," the butler replied. "Thank you, Miss."  
"It's no trouble," the Amazon answered modestly. "Come, I'll show you the way to the medical bay." She then hurried down the hall leading out of the docking bay, with Alfred trailing right behind her.

Meanwhile...  
Flash ran into the room, carrying Batman. The other Leaguers looked at him, then at the frail body of Batman. A look of terror crossed each face.  
"C'mon you guys!" Flash yelled. "He's got it really bad! Don't just sit there, mouths agape! Help me!" He set the Dark Knight on the nearest available bed, and J'onn began to clean his wounds. He removed Batman's shirt to reveal several contusions and lacerations.  
"Flash...what happened?" Superman asked slowly, fearfully.  
"I...don't know..." the Scarlet Speedster answered honestly. "When...the hatch...of the Batwing opened...I found him...like this. His butler...probably knows...something, though." He turned away from the scene, unable to look at Batman's contorted body any longer. Batman had been his childhood hero. Even though he didn't act like it all the time, he cared for and respected the Caped Crusader. He didn't want to have to see him in pain like this.  
Diana and Alfred entered the room. The Amazon quickly ran to J'onn's side, asking over and over if there was anything she could do to help. She soon went and stood beside Superman, and anxious look in her eyes.  
"Alfred, what happened?" Superman asked.  
"Batman came to the Batcave a half an hour ago," the butler began quietly. "He said he needed kryptonite. He got his sample of the mineral, and then prepared to leave. Just then, out of the darkness of the cave, a shadowy figure jumped on Batman and began to hit him again and again. Batman was able to defend himself at first, matching the creature blow for blow. Then, the figure took out a dagger from his boot; he sliced at Batman with such force it was inconceivable. The figure suddenly stopped attacking Batman and lifted his head, as if he heard something. He kicked Batman in the ribs a few times after he stood up. When he turned, I saw his face. He looked amazingly like Superman, but his face was cold. He was also resistant to kryptonite. And he had a long scar across his left eye down his face and on the left side of his neck."  
"Whoa," Flash said, picturing the creature in his mind. "What did he want? Did he say anything?"  
"Yes," Alfred said, frightened, remembering the harsh voice of the creature. "He did say one thing. 'I will be back for you, Batman. No one escapes the wrath of Lord Argon!'" Alfred shuddered. "I didn't really pay much attention to the intruder. I was just worried about getting Master Bruce here safely."  
"It was good that you did so," J'onn said. "He have five broken ribs and several lacerations all over his body. He did, however, manage to bring us the kryptonite we need to save Neona." He motioned to Superman to leave the room, so he wouldn't be harmed by the kryptonite. As the Man of Steel left, the Martian took the vial of kryptonite out of one of the pockets on Batman's Utility Belt. He was surprised to see that Batman had already made the rock kryptonite into a liquid. He hooked it up to the IV tube leading to Neona.  
"Now what?" Hawkgirl questioned. "Will this save her? Will she live?"  
"Time will tell," J'onn replied. "We can only hope for the best." He then made his way to Batman. He finished cleaning his wounds and dressed them. Alfred went to his master's side and looked at his unconscious form. He looked anxiously at J'onn.  
"He will be fine," the Martian reassured him. "I will make sure of it. He will heal within a few days."  
"Don't worry, Alfred," Lantern said. "Batman's in good hands. J'onn is one of the best doctors I know."  
"Yeah," added Flash. "Besides, Batman won't give up that easily. If J'onn says Batman will be better in a few days, he'll be walking within a few hours, knowing him."  
"Meanwhile," Lantern continued, "you may stay here, until Batman is well again. Some of us will go to the Batcave to clean stuff up."

Chapter 11

The next morning...  
"The two of them are recovering nicely," J'onn announced. "Batman should be able to walk by tomorrow. Neona is out of the danger of death. However, she is still in a coma. It may be some time until she regains consciousness."  
"So, on to the next order of business," Superman said, standing up from his chair next to the large table in the meeting room "What are we going to do about this Argon character? We can't just wait for Neona to wake up and tell us about him. That could take days, and who knows what kind of damage he could cause in that time!"  
"I could try reading her mind again," J'onn offered. "Perhaps I could also help her to awaken in the process."  
"Whoa, wait a sec," Flash said. "Just tell me what happens if you just, oh I don't know, get lost in all her memories? I mean she is immortal, right? Then she must have thousands of memories..."  
"It won't happen, Flash," J'onn assured him. "I have had centuries of practice."  
"All right, does everyone agree?" Superman asked, convinced that this was the best course of action for the time being. Each of the Leaguers chimed in their approval, and the meeting was adjourned. J'onn made his way back to the infirmary as the others went about their business. The Martian entered the room to see Batman standing at the Gargoyle's bedside.  
"Batman, you shouldn't be up," J'onn instructed him. "You need your rest. You aren't fully healed yet." Batman didn't acknowledge J'onn's presence. He looked down at Neona anxiously, hoping she would be all right.   
"Batman?" J'onn asked, walking over and placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Will you be all right?"  
"Yes, J'onn," Batman whispered. "I know so little about her. And yet...I feel as if I've known her my whole life. I...I'm worried about her. Why do I feel like this about someone I just met?"  
"I believe you are in love," the Martian said, smiling. "Now please get back in bed. You must rest if you hope to recover." Batman nodded absently and made his way to his bed. He sat down and looked over again at Neona. He had felt love before, but it didn't feel anything like this. Could he really love her, even though he had just met her?

Chapter 12

J'onn was checking Neona's vital signs, sighing with relief and nodding every now and then. As Batman watched, J'onn began to read Neona's mind once more.  
'Neona,' J'onn called out telepathically to the Gargoyle. 'Neona, if you can hear me, please answer.' As he did this, the Martian searched for information about Argon.  
'Who are you?' Neona asked, from where, J'onn was unsure. 'Who are you and what are you doing here? How have you entered my mind?'  
'My name is J'onn J'onzz,' the Martian replied gently. 'I am also known as the Martian Manhunter. Please, show yourself. I mean you no harm.' J'onn looked around in Neona's mind, pausing his search for information. He noticed movement in the shadows and focused in that direction. He saw the Gargoyle enter into the light. She walked gracefully on the toes of her clawed feet, flowing like water. Her long wings were wrapped around her body with the "thumbs" intertwined to hold them in place. Her red eyes glowed in the dim light, and her long, braided white hair reached to the floor. 

Neona was glad to see the Martian. 'Ah, yes, J'onn ' she said, looking at him. 'What...what happened? Why am I in so much pain?'  
'You were poisoned,' J'onn said sadly. 'We believe a creature named Argon may have been behind it...' J'onn paused as he noticed Neona cringe at the name. 'Do you know this Argon?'  
'Unfortunately, yes,' Neona replied. 'And I do not deny that he has tried more than once to kill me. He knows much about me, and he may have been able to create a poison to use on me. Argon is half-Kryptonian, but he lacks their weakness to kryptonite.'  
'Yes, we have learned this,' J'onn said sadly. 'Neona, do you know of any way to defeat him?'  
'I...I'm not sure,' the Gargoyle stammered. 'I have been trying for centuries, but nothing works. He is the son of Neron, though he cares little for his father, and vice versa. He lives by feeding on souls. And he has wanted me dead ever since we first met...' Neona's voice trailed off. She pictured Argon and scowled. Then, another wave of pain hit her. J'onn rushed to her and helped her stand.  
'You must try to wake up, Neona,' the Martian instructed her. 'The others wish to speak with you, and we may need your help.'  
' I'm not sure if I can, but I shall try,' the Gargoyle promised. 'I am very sorry if I am not able to in time to help you. What do you plan to do about Argon?'  
'I will have to discuss what you have told me with the others,' J'onn said. 'And then we will decide what to do.'  
'Thank you for reaching out to me,' Neona said gratefully. 'You have given me the ray of hope that I need. But, it is best that you go now. I don't want you to be stuck here with me.'  
'Of course,' J'onn agreed as he turned to leave. He then stopped a moment, looking over his shoulder at Neona. 'I will find a way to help you, Neona. You will return to the waking world, I promise.' And with that, J'onn left the Gargoyle's mind. Neona watched him go. He had given her confidence by coming there, and now she knew that she would eventually be able to help the Justice League in their most difficult battle yet.

J'onn's eyes stopped glowing as he left Neona's mind. He made his way to the door, but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder......

Chapter 13

J'onn turned to see Superman staring strangely at him.  
"Hello, Superman," the Martian greeted him. He noticed the Kryptonian's cold stare and became uncomfortable. "Is something wrong?"  
"No, everything is fine," the Kryptonian replied in a rough voice. "Could you come with me?" he asked, tightly gripping J'onn's arm.  
"What is going on?" J'onn asked angrily, ripping himself free from the Kryptonian's grasp. His eyes widened as he saw Superman's eyes glow strangely, coldly, filled with hatred. Then, he saw the long scar that ran from above his left eye, down his face, and down the left side of his neck. J'onn knew this wasn't Superman. But he did know who it was: Argon.  
J'onn's eyes widened in surprise at seeing the League's foe right in their own headquarters. He backed away from the half-Kryptonian and pressed the distress signal on his communicator.  
"So, I see you realize who I am," Argon said with satisfaction. "There is no use attempting to fight me, Martian, or trying to call your friends. I know everything there is to know about the League. All I want it the Gargoyle, and I shall leave the Justice League alone." He smiled wickedly, his appearance seeming to grow colder. J'onn knew that Argon was preparing to fight.  
"What do you want with her?" J'onn asked defiantly. He would fight Argon if he absolutely had to, but he wished he had help. He telepathically called out to all the Leaguers, hoping at least one of them would be able to help.  
"Well now, hasn't she already told you what I want from her?" Argon asked mockingly. "I want to finish what I started centuries ago: the destruction of the last Gargoyle."  
"No," said a determined voice from behind Argon. The villain turned to the voice. "You won't harm her. Not while I have anything to say about it." Batman had been listening to the entire thing, and was ready to fight it need be, despite his still-healing wounds.  
"Ah, yes, the Dark Knight of Gotham," Argon said evilly. "I can't believe you're still here. I thought I finished you off in the Batcave. Oh, well, I guess now I get two throw rugs." Batman grimaced at the sight of the one who had defeated him, but he did not show anger or contempt. He merely prepared to protect Neona with his life. She was the only one who could help them defeat Argon once she woke up. They needed to keep her alive.  
"You are not welcome here," the Dark Knight declared to Argon. "Leave now or face punishment."  
"Punishment?" Argon asked sarcastically. "From you two? I highly doubt it, my friend. Just allow me to take Neona and be on my way. No one has to get hurt here."  
"I will protect Neona with my life," J'onn told Argon. "You will not lay a hand on her as long as I still draw breath."  
"So be it," said Argon happily. The three of them prepared to fight...

Chapter 14

"You have just sentenced yourselves to death," Argon snickered. "I hope your friends won't mind too much when I rip you limb from limb!" He lifted his hand and help it out in front of him, pointed toward J'onn.  
'Batman,' J'onn said telepathically. 'Get Neona out of here. Don't worry about me, I shall be fine.' Batman made no reply. He told himself that he couldn't leave J'onn here alone. The Martian didn't stand a chance against Argon. Batman had fought him once and lost terribly. If this creature could defeat one of the world's greatest martial artists, then no one stood much of a chance against him.  
"Now, die," Argon said quietly to J'onn. He clenched the fist of his outstretched hand, smiling with malice.  
At first, J'onn didn't notice anything happening. Then, suddenly, the pain came. It felt as if J'onn was having his very breath squeezed out of him. His arms were forced to his sides, his legs forced together, and he gasped for air. He tried to telepathically attack Argon, but it was no use. The Martian was already beginning to die from lack of oxygen. He couldn't focus on anything except struggling to free himself from whatever it was that was killing him.  
Batman saw J'onn flailing, gasping for breath. He looked on in horror as Argon lifted the Martian off the ground telekinetically. Batman couldn't just stand by and watch as this vile creature killed his friend. He pulled out a batarang and threw it as the back of Argon's head. The batarang hit its mark, sending the half-Kryptonian to his knees. J'onn fell to the floor, gratefully taking in breath after breath of air.  
"Now, Batman, that wasn't very nice," said Argon angrily. "If you want to die first, have it your way. Bring it on." Batman just stared at him, awaiting the first attack. He pulled out a grappling hook and prepared it for use.  
Argon charged the Dark Knight. Not wanting to win the fight too easily, he prepared to hit Batman with a weak blow. He charged until he noticed the grappling hook in Batman's hand. He then jumped into the air and disappeared, or so it would seem. Batman searched frantically for his opponent, but couldn't see him anywhere.  
"What's wrong?" asked Argon in mock sympathy. "Oh, you can't find me, can you? Is this any better?!" The Kryptonian appeared behind Batman and caught him in a headlock. "You weren't planning on this, were you? Look at you now, the World's Greatest Detective, reduced to the helplessness of a little boy. Get this through your head: You can't defeat me. No one can; not you, not the Gargoyle, not any of your little friends. So give up now, if you with to live." He tightened his grip of Batman, cutting off the air supply.  
The Dark Knight grasped at Argon's arms, trying desperately to free himself. He gasped for air, his head swimming from the lack of oxygen.  
"You fool!" Argon yelled. "Submit to me! Submit to me or die!"

Chapter 15

"Submit!" Argon yelled.  
"No one will be doing anything of the sort," said Superman as the other Leaguers quickly entered the room. "Put him down, Argon, and leave the Watchtower."  
"Ah, Brother!" Argon exclaimed, dropping Batman to the ground. "How good of you to come. I have changed my mind, Batman. I will take Kal-El with me instead of the Gargoyle."  
"No way!" Flash shouted angrily. "Supes isn't going anywhere with the likes of you! Why don't you just get your ugly face out of here?!"  
"I'm sorry you feel that way, Flash," Argon mocked him. "But here's the deal: either you give me the Gargoyle, of Kal comes with me. The choice, however unimportant it may be, is yours." The Kryptonian looked at each Justice League member, smiling evilly.  
"Why...you..." Hawkgirl said through clenched teeth, barely containing her rage. She cared for Neona as a fellow warrior. "You won't...get away...with this!" she yelled, powering up her mace. She charged Argon, holding her mace up, preparing to give him a blow to the face.  
"Wait!" Superman cried, causing Hawkgirl to stop in her tracks. "Don't attack him. We'll give him what he wants...I'll go with him."

Chapter 16

"I'll go with him," Superman repeated, staring at Argon.  
"You can't be serious!" Flash yelled. "Supes, what do you think you're doing?! You can't go with him; he's the ENEMY! C'mon, cut the joke!!"  
"He's right, Superman," J'onn said, rising to his feet and approaching his friends. He couldn't believe that he was actually agreeing with Flash. "You don't have to do this."   
"I do, J'onn," Superman replied. "I owe him the benefit of the doubt. He is, after all, my 'brother' so to speak, him being Kryptonian and all. Don't worry, I'll be fine."  
"Do you understand what you're getting yourself into?" Batman asked as J'onn helped him to his feet. "Superman, think about this. Do you really want to trust this...this monster! You know what he did to Neona, and to me, and to both J'onn and I just now. You can't trust him!"  
"Batman, listen to me," the Man of Steel said. "Neona is the only one you should worry about right now. You know as well as I do that she is our ticket to victory. Don't worry about what happens to me, I'll be fine. All I want you to worry about is helping Neona to get better so we can win this. We may have lost the battle, but we will win the war." With that, Superman walked toward Argon.  
"Yes, Kal," Argon said with satisfaction. "Come, we have much to discuss. It has been a long time since I have seen another Kryptonian. I have much to tell you." He put his arm around the Man of Steel. The two Kryptonians walked toward the door.  
"No! Superman, don't go!" Flash cried, rushing to his side. He grabbed Superman's arm and stopped. Superman looked at him.  
"Flash, what's wrong?" he asked confused.  
"Don't trust him, Supes," he said. "This guy is a freak. I...I've got a really bad feeling about him. Just don't go...please..." Flash looked pleadingly at the Man of Steel.  
"Don't worry, Flash," Superman reassured him. "If he tries anything...suspicious...I'll call you guys, ok? I just have to do this." He smiled at the Scarlet Speedster, who reluctantly let go of his arm. Superman and Argon then walked out the door and made their way to Argon's docked ship.

Chapter 17

That night...  
"I can't believe Superman would do something like that!" Hawkgirl yelled, still angry at what the Man of Steel had done. "If it was any one of US who had wanted to, he wouldn't have let us! But no, he can do whatever he wants! Besides, he's been gone an awfully long time!"  
"Settle the heck down," Flash shot at her. "I know how you feel. But he's gonna look at this differently because Argon is Kryptonian. Supes is gonna give this guy more leeway than anyone else we have ever fought...and that's saying a lot...."  
"His judgment is clouded," J'onn said. "He has finally found another like him, and so he feels compassion for this one. I understand his reasoning, though it is incorrect. We still do not truly know what Argon wants. He may try to turn Superman against us."  
"Well, whatever he does, we have to be ready," GL said. "He could try to attack or something while Superman is with him. We have to be on guard."  
"Superman wouldn't turn against us," Wonder Woman stated. "He is our friend and leader. He wouldn't betray our trust." Flash nodded hopefully. He looked at Batman.  
"You're awfully quiet," he remarked. "You thinkin' 'bout somethin'?"  
"Argon isn't affected by kryptonite," Batman replied, staring at the table. "He could try to use it against Superman."  
"You're right!" Flash exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "We've gotta help him!"  
"SIT DOWN!" GL yelled. Flash quickly sat back in his chair and looked anxiously at John. "If we ARE going to go after him, we must come up with a plan first. Anyone got any ideas?"  
"Yeah," said Flash cautiously.  
"Anyone ELSE?" GL asked.  
"One of us must stay behind and look after Neona," J'onn reminded then.  
"I'll stay behind," Batman said. Everyone stared at him in shock.  
"Hey, Bats, you feelin' ok?" Flash asked wide-eyed.  
"I'm fine, Flash," the Dark Knight said, glaring at him. "If I stay here, I can try to figure out Argon's weakness. And, Neona knows me. She'll likely feel safer seeing me if she happens to wake up than seeing anyone else."  
"It is for the best," J'onn said, looking at Batman. "You still have not fully healed from your fight with Argon."  
"All right, Batman will stay behind," GL said. "Now we need a PLAN. C'mon people."  
"We should follow the signal from Superman's communicator," Diana said. "Once we find him, we can split up and watch him and Argon from all sides. One wrong move, Lantern can give the signal and we'll attack."  
"Good plan, Diana," Green Lantern agreed. "Any opposed to this plan?" No one said anything or made any motion to show their disapproval.  
"Good, let's get to it," GL instructed. "Flash and J'onn, you come with me. Diana and Hawkgirl, you two take the Javelin. Let's go."  
The two teams left the Medical Bay and got on their way.

Chapter 18

Hawkgirl and Wonder Woman flew over Metropolis.  
"I wonder..." Hawkgirl said, thinking.  
"What?" Diana asked.  
"Why does Batman REALLY want to stay behind?" the Winged Warrior asked suspiciously.  
"What do you mean?" Diana questioned her, confused.  
"You don't honestly think he's going to try to find Argon's weakness while he's up there, do you?" Hawkgirl inquired. "Seriously now. He's going to be up there...alone...with Neona...And, he OFFERED to stay behind. How often does he do THAT?" She winked at Diana, and the two chuckled as they continued their search.

"J'onn, have you located him?" Green Lantern asked as the three companions made their way through Metropolis. J'onn's eyes glowed as he flew through the sky.  
"They're at the Daily Planet," he replied, his eyes returning to normal. "We should inform Hawkgirl and Diana."  
"Already gotcha covered," Flash said, pressing a button on his communicator. "Yo! Hawkgirl! Diana! We've found them. They're at the Daily Planet. GL says to get in position."  
"Got it," Hawkgirl replied.  
"They're in position," Flash told GL. "Now what?"  
"We've got to wait for the right moment," GL said, touching down to the roof of the Daily Planet. "J'onn, go in and check it out." The Martian nodded and went ghost. He then sunk into the ground, entering the building.   
J'onn soon found the room where Superman and Argon were talking. He entered the room, remaining intangible, and listened.

Watchtower:  
Batman sat at Neona's bedside, looking down at the Gargoyle. He grasped her hand tightly, hoping that it might help her to wake up.  
He looked at the tracking mechanism in his hand, watching his teammates' every move. He watched as one of them entered the Daily Planet building, probably J'onn. He hoped they wouldn't need his help; he didn't want to leave Neona.

Daily Planet:  
"So, you understand now?" Argon asked Superman. "Do you see why I must destroy Neona?"  
"Nothing justifies killing, Argon," Superman answered. "I do see why you feel you must, but murdering her is not the answer. You can find another way. Please, I will help you and her make amends."  
"You still do not understand," Argon said through gritted teeth. "You do not see what they did to me! The last of the Gargoyles...they captured me...tortured me! They were going to kill me and eat my flesh! That band of six...monsters...the last remaining Gargoyles all deserved to pay. The job is almost finished...it has been for centuries now. All I need to do is destroy this last one. She is the last of her kind, and a reminder of what they did to me."  
"But, from what you've told me, she didn't even take any part in your torture!" Superman exclaimed. "Why not just let her live on in peace, let her carry out the legacy of her people. She's just like us, the last of her kind. She deserves our compassion."  
"No!" Argon screamed, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a chunk of kryptonite and holds it in front of Superman's face. "You WILL help me destroy her and your friends! You WILL do everything I ask of you! You WILL help me! You WILL!"  
"S..to...op..." Superman begged him, falling to his knees. "I...I wo..n't...help...you..."  
"You will help me or you will DIE!" Argon screamed.   
"I...w..i...ll...help..." Superman stammered, his eyes darkening as he slipped into the unconscious realm...

Chapter 19

"Superman is down," J'onn said telepathically to his teammates. "Prepare to move in..."  
"No, J'onn, wait!" Green Lantern cried. "First, tell us what happened."  
"Argon attacked him with kryptonite," the Martian replied anxiously. "We must help him..."  
"Everyone hold your position," GL said. "Just a bit longer. Don't worry' we won't let him kill Superman. J'onn, keep an eye on them and tell us when Superman regains consciousness. That's when we'll attack."

Watchtower:  
"What are they doing?" Batman said to himself. He was listening over the comm. link to the other Leaguers' mission. "They're all such amateurs! They should attack now, while Argon has his guard down! If they wait, he may be able to convert Superman to his cause. This looks bad..." The Dark Knight looked over at Neona pleadingly.  
' You'd better wake up soon,' he thought. ' I may have to leave you otherwise...'

Daily Planet:  
A half hour had passed. Argon had left the room where Superman was a few minutes ago. Superman hadn't stirred since he had passed out. J'onn watched his friend's comatose body fearfully.  
"Lantern, I am beginning to fear the worst for Kal," the Martian said. "He was exposed to the kryptonite at close range and for quite a long period of time. Are you sure we should be waiting this long?"  
"Trust me, J'onn," GL answered. "I've done this a few times before. I know what I'm doing."  
"I hope so," Hawkgirl spat. "I hate just sitting around and waiting like this! I want some action!" The Thanagarian trembled with the anticipation of the coming battle. Her warrior's spirit was thirsting for a fight.  
"Have a little patience, Bird Lady," Flash said. "You'll get to fight soon enough. You've just gotta wait like the rest of us. Supes will wake up soon." The Scarlet Speedster looked apprehensively at the towering Daily Planet building. He hoped Superman would wake up soon, or he'd surely lose his mind over this.  
"Argon has returned," J'onn announced telepathically. "Superman has also begun to stir. He appears to be awakening."  
"Everyone get ready..." GL instructed. "Wait for it..."  
"Superman has regained consciousness," J'onn said. "He's standing...now he's speaking with Argon. I can't quite make out what it is they're saying..."  
"...and I will destroy the Justice League," he heard Argon say. "I am glad you finally see it my way, Kal. Now we will surely accomplish our task..."   
J'onn's eyes widened in shock.  
"NOW!" GL yelled. "Everyone MOVE! Converge on the enemy!"  
"No, WAIT!" J'onn cried, but too late. The Justice League was falling right into a trap...they would be defeated by their own leader...

Chapter 20

Flash quickly opened the door and entered the room. Green Lantern and Hawkgirl came crashing through the windows, followed by Wonder Woman.  
Argon and Superman did not hesitate. Each picked two opponents: Superman took on Flash and Wonder Woman; Argon took on Green Lantern and Hawkgirl. Using his freezing breath, Superman stopped Flash in his tracks. The Scarlet Speedster found his legs frozen to the floor; he couldn't move. Argon easily took out Hawkgirl with a mighty blow to her back as she charged him. As she hit the ground, pain seared through her back and wings. She cursed Argon under her breath. She couldn't be defeated so easily by a guy like Argon, could she? Her vision blurred as she passed out.  
Wonder Woman and Green Lantern proved to be more formidable adversaries. The Amazon Princess matched the Man of Steel blow for blow. Green Lantern put up a protective shield around himself and his fallen comrades, shooting beams of energy at Argon every now and then. The two Leaguers could only keep this up for so long...  
' Where is J'onn? ' GL thought angrily. ' He was supposed to move in with the rest of us! What is that Martian up to? '  
Argon was beginning to grow tired of this fight. He and Superman should have already won! And where were Batman and the Martian? The villain's suspicions were rising.  
Argon attached Green Lantern's shield with enough force to knock the Emerald Warrior off his feet. The shield disappeared and Argon advanced on his prey. Just as he was about to hit Green Lantern with a powerful blow, J'onn rose out of the ground and blocked the Kryptonian's path. The Martian received the full force of the blow in his gut. He fell to his knees, clutching his stomach.  
"Foolish, foolish Martian," Argon said. He kicked J'onn in the side of the head, causing him to fly across the room and hit the wall.  
Argon approached GL. GL stood up and prepared to fight the advancing enemy.  
"You'll pay for what you did to them," Green Lantern said through gritted teeth. "You'll pay dearly."  
"I think not," Argon said maliciously. He ran toward GL and, just before he hit him, jumped into the air. He then flipped in the air a few times and delivered a powerful blow to the back of GL's head. The Emerald Warrior fell to the ground. Argon stepped down hard on GL's back, not letting up until he heard a loud "Crack!" as the Emerald Warrior's vertebrae and ribs broke. Argon then rushed to help Superman.  
Wonder Woman kept attacking Superman. She didn't understand why he was doing this. He was her friend, wasn't he? Why would he attack his teammates...his friends?  
"Superman, what's wrong with you?" she asked him pleadingly. "Why are you doing this?"  
Superman gave no reply. He merely smiled as Argon approached from behind Wonder Woman. Argon's fists came down on the Amazon's head and her knees gave way. She hit Superman's chest, and looked up at him in fear. She then slid down to the floor, unconscious.  
J'onn watched the defeat of his last two teammates through darkening eyes. He had to try to contact Batman. His eyes glowed brightly as he attempted to reach the Dark Knight telepathically.  
' B-bat...Batman...' he called out, struggling to remain conscious. 'B...b...at...' J'onn could not stay awake. His head hit the ground as he passed out.

Chapter 21

Watchtower:  
Batman watched Neona sleep. He was growing more and more worried with each passing minute. It wasn't so bad, until his communicator stopped working. Or, had the others' stopped... Now he didn't know what was going on, and he feared the worst.  
The Gargoyle stirred, and Batman quickly grasped her hand. He felt a soft squeeze from Neona, who quickly opened her eyes.  
"You're all right," Batman told her, seeing the panic in her face.  
"Yes, but your friends aren't," she replied bluntly. "They are all in danger. We must go help them at once."  
"You still aren't well," Batman insisted. "I will go if necessary, but you must stay here."  
"Don't tell me what to do," the Gargoyle snapped. "I know more about Argon than you do. You will need my help to defeat him. You don't stand a chance without me, much as your friends didn't. You NEED me, Batman." She glared at the Dark Knight with intensity in her eyes.  
"All right," Batman gave in. "Fine. Let's get going." He helped Neona to her feet and the two of them made their way to the docking bay. Batman helped the Gargoyle into the passenger seat of the Batwing and then entered the cockpit. He powered the jet up and turned on the radar in order to track the other Leaguers' comm. signals. The black plane took off quickly toward Metropolis.

Daily Planet:  
"Well done," Argon said to Superman in approval. "Now, restrain them. We will need to use them as bait to get Batman and the Gargoyle here."  
"Please, Argon," Superman pleaded. "Please just leave them all out of this. I...I can't..." The Man of Steel hung his head.  
"Don't force me to hurt you, Kal," Argon said sternly. "I don't want to have to, but you aren't leaving me much of a choice. Now, do as I said and restrain them."  
Superman looked down at the bodies of his friends. It pained him to know that he had helped do this to them.  
"No," the Man of Steel whispered.  
"What?" Argon asked impatiently.  
"No," Superman repeated, sharper this time. "I will not help you anymore. I am leaving, and I'm taking them with me." He made his way to where his friends lay. Argon stared at him angrily. He silently followed Superman.  
"So be it," the villain said. He grasped Superman's shoulder with one hand. "You leave me no choice, Kal. I gave you a chance, but you have chosen the way of pain."  
With that, the Kryptonian pulled a small device out of his pocket and shoved it into the back of Superman's neck. The Man of Steel cried out in pain and fell to his knees.  
Argon watched and waited, blocking the screams of agony out of his mind. Soon, Superman fell silent and rose to his feet. He then turned to face Argon.  
"What do you wish of me, Master?" he asked, his eyes glowing eerily.  
"Restrain them, my servant," the evil Kryptonian said quietly, handing him five small capsules, each labeled with a name of a League member. Superman approached the Leaguers and began to restrain each of them.  
"Finally, Kal," Argon whispered. "You are finally mine. And soon, the Gargoyle will pay for the sins of her kind. All thanks...to you...Superman..."

Chapter 22

Neona looked out the window of the Batwing and sighed uneasily. She knew that Argon would enslave Superman's mind as he had countless others in the past. She didn't want to have to fight the Man of Steel, but she knew she wouldn't have much of a choice.  
Batman stared at the tracking signal on the radar. How did Neona know the others were in trouble? he thought to himself.   
"What exactly has happened to the others?" Batman asked the Gargoyle.   
"Argon has taken Superman," Neona said grimly. "Superman is now against us, but not willingly. There may be a way to bring him back to us. But how...I do not know..." Her voice trailed off as she hung her head.  
"I take it you've seen this before?" the Dark Knight asked.  
"Yes, a few times," the Gargoyle answered. "And each time, I have had to resort to...more permanent ways of disposing of Argon's slaves."  
"I...see" Batman said. "Are you saying that...that we may have to KILL Superman in order to defeat him and free him of Argon's hold over him?"  
Neona hesitated in her response. She knew Superman and Batman were friends. She knew that, though they didn't always show it, they cared about each other.  
"...Yes, Batman," the Gargoyle finally said. "That is the only way I know of to defeat him. I am sorry..." She fell silent and stared again out the window.  
"We're here," Batman said, breaking the silence. Neona looked at the building they were hovering above: the Daily Planet. Batman gently set the plane down on the roof of the building and the two got out.  
"Now what, oh great detective?" Neona asked. "What's the plan?"  
"First, we go in and assess the situation," Batman said. "Then we attack. It's as simple as that." He pulled a kryptonite ring out of a slot in his Utility Belt and placed it on his right hand.  
"Right, let's go," Neona said, heading toward the door to the stairs. She faltered in her step, still slightly weak from her injuries. Batman rushed over and supported her.  
"You can't fight like this," the Dark Knight remarked. "I'm taking you back to the Watchtower. I can defeat Superman on my own. I've done it before."  
"No, I'll be fine," the Gargoyle said, shoving Batman away from her and opening the door to the stairwell. She cautiously made her way down the stairs.

Inside the Daily Planet:  
"Very good," Argon said, watching Superman restrain each of the League members. "And it would appear we will be having company very shortly..." He looked toward the ceiling, having heard the touchdown of the Batwing.  
J'onn began to stir. He heard Argon talking to Superman. He opened his eyes to see that he was surrounded by flames. He backed up against the wall and pressed his back to it.  
"Ah, it would appear one of our prisoners is awake," Argon said.

Chapter 23

Argon approached J'onn's fiery prison. "Hello, Martian. How do you like this little fire cage?" J'onn glared at Argon with hatred.  
"What have you done with the others?" he snapped angrily.  
"See for yourself," the villain said, motioning around the room. J'onn looked to see each of the Leaguers imprisoned. Green Lantern was shackled to the wall, his ring now resting on Argon's finger. Flash was restrained next to GL in the same way. Hawkgirl's wings were bound together tightly, her wrists chained, and she was hanging from the ceiling. Her mace lay on the floor below her. Wonder Woman's wrists were bound with her lasso, so her bracelets were touching, meaning that her powers were of no use to her. Superman stood near Wonder Woman, watching J'onn with sheer evil pleasure.  
"You can't win," J'onn spat at Argon, glaring at him with revulsion. "Batman and Neona will come for us, and they will defeat you."  
"Highly doubtful," the Kryptonian said triumphantly. "That Gargoyle hasn't been able to defeat me in over six centuries! What makes you think she will be able to defeat me now? And Batman! He is but a mere human in a costume with no special powers, no alien blood, nothing. There is no way the two of them can defeat me...especially now that I have Kal on my side."   
Superman stepped forward and stood at Argon's side. He smirked evilly. The look on his face burned into J'onn. J'onn tried to telepathically reason with Superman. He watched as Superman's face softened for a moment.  
"J'onn...please..." the Kryptonian begged. His face was lined with agony. Argon glared at him. "H-help...me..." he begged again. Suddenly, his face returned to the cold, hate-filled look as the evil part of him regained control. Argon then turned back to J'onn.  
"Soon, Kal will be totally under my control," he laughed. "He will not remember any of you, his friends. He will not remember being a 'hero'. He will be pure evil! He will only know to do my will! I will have complete control over the strongest man in the universe!"

Neona slowly, cautiously made her way down the steps, with Batman following close behind her. The stairwell was pitch-black, the only light coming from the Gargoyle's glowing eyes.  
"Argon loves the darkness," Neona told Batman. "Fortunately, so do I." She smiled a bit. Once again, Neona stumbled from her healing wounds. Batman quickly caught her.  
"Are you sure you're all right?" Batman asked with concern.  
"For the last time, YES!" she answered angrily. "I do NOT need help from a mortal like you! Get your hands off of me this instant!" Batman released her, not wanting to make her any more cross than she already was.  
"I'm...sorry..." Batman said. Neona is a very strange woman, he thought. He had best keep an eye on her and make SURE she would be all right.

Chapter 24

Daily Planet: 5 minutes later:  
  
Hawkgirl struggled to free herself, but to no avail. The ropes were cutting into her skin, ripping open her wings and wrists. Green Lantern just stared ahead of him, eyes blank. Flash, like Hawkgirl, was trying to escape, and had been for the past four minutes. Diana watched Superman sadly, still shocked that her friend would turn against them. J'onn's eyes glowed as he tried to contact Batman or Neona once again.

Chapter 25

Neona led Batman down a narrow, dimly two of them approached a door with light streaming out from lit hallway. The under it. Neona raised her hand, signaling Batman to stop. The Gargoyle listened intently, hearing voices from inside the room.  
"...and by the way, you piece of trash," she heard Flash yelling. "Bats could whup you're sorry butt with his bare hands! But I don't know anyone who'd want to..."  
"Flash, SHUT UP!" she heard Green Lantern yell.   
"No!" Flash retorted. "This bozo can't treat us like this! I mean, c'mon! We're the Justice League! Are we just gonna let him push us around like this?!"  
"Both of you SHUT UP!" Argon yelled. "Kal, take care of them."   
With that, Neona heard a dull thud and a groan, followed by another. She knew Superman had knocked the two of them out. And she knew it would only be a matter of time before Argon would grow tired of the Leaguers and decide to dispose of them. Time was running out...

Chapter 26

"What was that?" Batman asked, hearing the two dull thuds.   
"Superman just knocked Flash and Green Lantern out," Neona replied. "We don't have much time left. Argon is growing impatient."  
"What do you propose we do?" Batman inquired.  
"I will create a diversion," the Gargoyle answered. "While I'm keeping Argon and Superman busy, you can free your friends."  
"I won't let you face them alone," the Dark Knight said, grabbing Neona's shoulders and looking into her eyes. "You're still weak, and you'll need help. Don't ask me to do that."  
"This is the best way, Batman," Neona answered him, determined. "I caused all this. It's my fault your friends got involved. It's my fault Argon has taken Superman. This is all my fault. I won't let you get hurt trying to right my wrongs. This is my fight, and I won't let you keep me from it."  
"I just don't want to see you get hurt again," Batman said with concern in his eyes.  
"What happens to me is none of your concern," the Gargoyle said. "You must help your friends. I will deal with Superman first, and hopefully be able to save him. He isn't really that far gone yet. Then you and your friends must leave while I deal with Argon. I don't want you getting involved in this any more than you have to. Just worry about your friends, leave the rest to me."  
The Gargoyle hung her head in shame. She knew it was all her fault. Never before had she involved mortals in her dealings with Argon. Never before had she risked the lives of others by getting them involved. She couldn't let any one member of the Justice League die on this day, not even Superman. She would have to find a way to break Argon's hold over the Man of Steel.  
Neona would win on this day; she would defeat her greatest foe. She would...or she would die trying.

Chapter 27

"Serves you right," Argon said, looking at Flash's comatose body. "You should learn to keep your mouth shut. And you," he said, turning to Green Lantern. "Not even you can control him. Let this be an example for the rest of you," he added, directing his attention to the conscious Leaguers.

"Batman, Neona, someone answer!" J'onn begged telepathically. "If either of you can hear me, please answer!"

"We're on our way, J'onn," Batman said. "I'll be there soon. We have a plan. I just have to wait until Argon and Superman leave the room."  
"Is Neona there with you?" J'onn asked.  
"Yes," Batman answered. "She's fine, don't worry. We're going to get all of you out of there."  
"Batman, I…" J'onn began.  
"Oh, what's this?" Argon asked, seeing J'onn's eyes glowing. "What do you think you're doing, Martian?" J'onn just stared at Argon, his eyes returning to normal. "Answer me when I'm talking to you!" Argon yelled, shooting J'onn's arm with his heat vision. The Martian backed up against the wall, clutching his scorched arm. 

"I was doing nothing," J'onn said through clenched teeth.  
"Don't lie to me!" Argon yelled. "Now tell me what you were doing, before I take it out on your friends!"  
"I was trying to contact Batman!" J'onn finally gave in.   
"And did you succeed?" the villain asked impatiently.  
"No," J'onn lied. "Batman is not responding to my telepathic calls." He stared at Argon, straight-faced.  
"Good enough," Argon said, smiling a bit. "But if you try something like that again, I promise you and your friends will pay. Kal, keep an eye on this one." Superman approached the fire cage and stood in front of it, arms crossed over his chest, staring at J'onn. The Martian stared back sadly.

"Are you clear on the plan?" Neona asked Batman eagerly.  
"Yes," the Dark Knight answered.   
"Good, let's get to work then," the Gargoyle said. She cautiously approached the door. For a third time, she stumbled from the still-lingering poison. And once again, Batman helped steady her.  
"Are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this, Neona?" he asked in a hushed whisper as he helped her stand up straight.  
"Yes, Batman," she said, hiding her pain and fragility. "Now, go, hide yourself until I get Argon and Superman out of there." Batman silently stepped back into the shadows. Neona warily placed her clawed hand on the doorknob, and after a moment of preparation, turned it and opened the door. She quickly rushed into the room, leaving the door wide open. She flew past Argon and Superman and stopped by the window.  
"What?!" Argon yelled loudly. "What are you doing here?! You're supposed to be dead! How did you know where to find us?!"  
"Shut up, Argon," Neona snapped. "Why don't we see just what your new little pet here can do," she said, motioning to Superman. "Shall we say a one-on-one duel? How about it, Ugly?"  
"Get her!" Argon commanded Superman. The Man of Steel flew at Neona. The Gargoyle quickly smashed the window and jumped through the shattered glass into the night sky. Superman quickly followed.  
"C'mon, Argon!" Neona coaxed from outside. "Why don't you come on out and watch? Are you afraid that I might win? Or perhaps you're afraid that your little prisoners in there will escape? You're a great coward!"  
"No one calls me a coward!" Argon roared, also flying through the broken window, leaving the Leaguers totally alone in the room. 

Chapter 28

Batman waited a few minutes after he heard the sound of glass breaking. Then he entered the room and surveyed the situation. J'onn was imprisoned in a cage of fire; Green Lantern and Flash were shackled to the wall, GL's ring no where to be found, both unconscious; Hawkgirl was hanging from the ceiling, tied with ropes, which were bloody from digging into her skin; Wonder Woman was tied with her own unbreakable lasso.  
"Batman!" J'onn cried, surprised at the sight of him. The Dark Knight did not acknowledge him, only started to deactivate the fire cage. He quickly deactivated it, and the flames died away.  
"Free the others," Batman said to J'onn, approaching the window.  
"What are you going to do?" J'onn asked him.  
"I'm going to help Neona," Batman answered.  
"But she told you not to," J'onn noted. "Why are you going to do this?"  
"Don't ask questions," the Dark Knight said. "And I don't appreciate that you read my mind. We don't have much time. Free the others."  
"Batman, I know Neona is weak," J'onn said, placing a hand on Batman's shoulder. "And I know you care about her, and you don't want her to get hurt. But she is more experienced with Argon. We can help her once we free the others, together. Right now, we should do as she instructed."  
Batman turned to look back at J'onn, his eyes narrowed. He then sighed deeply and started to help J'onn free the others.

-----------------------------

Neona and Superman were almost evenly matched. The Gargoyle had a slight upper hand, but Superman was holding his own. Argon knew that normally, Neona could easily defeat the Man of Steel. However, since she was still recovering from the poison, she was slightly weaker than normal. Argon would use this to his advantage.   
"You will not defeat him, Gargoyle!" Argon bragged to Neona. "You have grown weak! I will finally destroy you, after all these years!" He smiled evilly. He could finally finish the task he had started over six centuries ago: he would finally destroy the last Gargoyle!!  
"I may be physically weaker, Argon," Neona retorted, blocking a punch from Superman. She then uppercut him in the jaw, sending him flying upward in the air. "However, my warrior's spirit has not faltered! I will defeat Superman, and I will then stop at nothing to destroy you and avenge my people!"  
Superman retaliated with a blow to Neona's gut. She backed away from him, clutching her stomach with one hand. She quickly recovered from the attack and shot at Superman with her own heat vision. The beams of heat hit their mark, slashing through Superman's eyes. The Man of Steel clutched his face in pain, gently landing on the roof of the Daily Planet.   
Argon flew at Neona, enraged.  
"You will not defeat us!" he screamed. "We are the last of the Kryptonians! We are savage warriors! We will not fall to the likes of you!"   
Argon used his heat vision to slice through Neona's left wing. The Gargoyle hovered in the air for a moment, the pain beginning to sear through her wing. She then plummeted toward the ground, struggling to reach a window ledge, a look of sheer terror on her face...

Chapter 29

Neona was speechless. She should have been able to dodge Argon's heat vision, but she hadn't factored in the fact that she was still weak from her poisoning. As she plummeted toward the ground, she knew she had failed. She had failed her friends, her people. She had failed herself. And she had failed Batman and the Justice League.  
"You see!" Argon yelled at Neona. "I have finally won, my dear Gargoyle! And you thought you stood a chance at destroying me! Ha! Now you will fall to your death!" The villain laughed and laughed, absorbed in his own arrogance and pride.

Chapter 30

J'onn and Batman worked quickly to free their friends. J'onn flew up and cut the ropes binding Hawkgirl, then gently lifted her to the ground. He then began freeing Flash and Green Lantern.  
Batman worked to free Diana. He unbound her wrists and handed her lasso to her. He helped her to her feet and then the two of them made their way over to help J'onn with GL and Flash.  
"How did you know where to find us?" Diana asked as she quickly cleaned Hawkgirl's bloody wings.  
"I didn't," Batman answered. "Neona did. She..." Batman stopped in mid-sentence as the four of them heard a scream of pain from outside.   
"Neona!" Batman cried, rushing to the window and looking upon the horrific scene. Argon hovered in the air, laughing maniacally. The villain was staring downward, toward the ground. Batman followed Argon's gaze, and his eyes widened in shock at what he saw: Neona was plummeting toward the ground, her left wing ripped to shreds. She was struggling to find something to grasp on to, something to stop her fall, but to no avail.  
Batman shot a grappling live to the building on the opposite side of the street. He was about to step out onto the window ledge, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He stopped, but didn't turn to look back at who it was.  
"Wait, Batman," J'onn said softly.  
"J'onn, I have to help her!" Batman snapped, turning and glaring at him. "She'll die if I don't help her! Let me go! I have to help her!"  
"Watch," the Martian replied quietly. Batman turned again to look out the window. What he say not only surprised him, but also terrified him...

-----------------------

Neona knew as she freefell that she would die. She knew that she had failed Batman and the rest of the Justice League. She knew she had failed to avenge her people. She had failed to destroy Argon.  
As Neona fell, she silently cursed herself. How could she have been so clumsy as to allow Argon to attack her? How could she have lost this battle, which should have been so easy to win?   
But the Gargoyle knew the answer to these questions: she should have listened to Batman. He had tried to tell her that she was too weak to be fighting like this. He had told her to stay at the Watchtower. But she hadn't even tried to listen. She had wanted so badly to defeat Argon once and for all.  
Neona stopped struggling to save herself. She finally realized the truth: she had sentenced herself to death by refusing to listen to Batman. She would die; there was no way anyone would have time to save her.   
The Gargoyle twisted around so as to face the pavement that was rushing toward her. She opened her arms wide to embrace it. She was going to die, but at least she would no longer have to worry about Argon or any other troubles that came with life.   
Neona closed her eyes and cried. Who was she kidding? She didn't want to die. She hoped that by some miracle...  
Her thoughts were cut off as she stopped falling. Neona hit something solid...and faded...out of...consciousness...

Chapter 31

Batman watched as Superman flew down and caught Neona, just before she hit the pavement. The Man of Steel then carried the comatose Gargoyle to the roof and gently set her down.  
"You see," J'onn said to Batman.  
"But..." Batman said, confused. "Does that mean he's...?"  
"No, he's still under Argon's control," the Martian replied sadly.

-------------------

"What are you doing?!" Argon yelled, enraged, as he flew over to where Superman had lain Neona. "She would have died! I would have finally accomplished my goal! I would have destroyed the last Gargoyle! Explain yourself this instant!"  
"Forgive me, Master," Superman said. "But I merely though that you would wish to do to her what her people did to you. Wouldn't it be more...satisfying...to torture her to the point of death?"  
"Of course, Kal," Argon replied smiling wryly. "I'm only surprised I didn't think of that. What do you propose?"  
"I..." Superman couldn't finish. He fell to his knees. That's when Argon noticed the green blood on Superman's costume...Neona's blood. This puzzled the villain. Neona had red blood; he had seen it time and time again! But now he looked at the Gargoyle and at the blood on Superman's costume, and he knew it was hers. And it was weakening Superman. That could only mean one thing: kryptonite.  
"Hold on, Kal," Argon said, kneeling next to his fellow Kryptonian. "I'll get the kryptonite off of you." He ripped one of the sleeves off of his shirt and used it to wipe the liquid kryptonite from Superman's costume. He then quickly discarded the cloth. Superman stood up and shook his head a bit.  
"Are you all right, Kal?" Argon asked.  
"I shall be fine, Master," Superman replied shakily. "I am just slightly weak now, but I shall recover."

--------------------

"What happened?" Diana asked, approaching the window. She stopped at J'onn's side.  
"The kryptonite we used to save Neona has now become a part of her blood," J'onn explained. "When Superman touched it, he became weak, as he does with all kryptonite. This can be a great advantage to us."  
"What did I miss?" Flash asked, slowly standing up and joining the group.  
"I'll fill him in," Batman said, taking Flash aside and beginning to explain the situation. J'onn and Diana continued to watch Argon and Superman, making sure they didn't do anything more to Neona. 

A few minutes later...  
"Batman! Flash! Hawkgirl!" Diana exclaimed. "Get GL! They're taking Neona!"

Chapter 32

"They're on the move," Wonder Woman told Batman as he approached her. She motioned for him to look out the window. Argon and Superman took to the air, with Argon carrying Neona.  
"They aren't leaving," Batman said. "They're coming back here. Flash, Hawkgirl, you two try to get Lantern to wake up. Diana, we've got to prepare to fight. I don't think Argon will be very happy when he comes and finds you guys free. And I know he won't like to see me here."

-----------------------

Argon carried Neona as he and Superman flew back to the window. The two of them entered the room and looked in shock at the Justice Leaguers.  
"How did you...?" Argon asked, stopping when he saw Batman. "Ah, Batman. We meet again. Are you prepared to be defeated yet a third time? Heh heh."  
"You won't defeat us this time, Argon," Batman said.  
"I suggest you hand Neona over and release Superman from your control," J'onn said. "Otherwise, we will be forced to take action."  
"What?" Argon laughed. "The six of you, defeat me? When I have Kal on my side? Inconceivable! We are superior in both power and intelligence!"  
"Oh shut your trap!" Flash yelled. "We outnumber you three to one! I'd say we have a slight advantage here!"  
"Flash, keep quiet!" Batman whispered sharply. "I told you to try to revive Lantern. Now do what you're told!" Flash looked at Batman, eyes narrowed in frustration. He then turned back to GL and worked to revive him.   
"You WILL fail," Argon said with confidence. "The Gargoyle finally failed, after six centuries. Until now, we were evenly matched each time we fought. What makes you think you can defeat me when she tried so hard for so long and eventually failed?"  
"We may not stand much of a chance," Wonder Woman said. "But we will try. And if we fail, at least we'll die fighting."  
"Jeeze, you're just the voice of optimism," Flash muttered under his breath.

Chapter 33

"GL!" Flash whispered with force. "GL! C'mon, you gotta wake up! We need you!"  
"Uuhhn" Green Lantern moaned as he sat up, holding his head. "What happened? What's going on?"  
"We're going to fight," Hawkgirl said, a hint of pleasure in her voice.  
"Wait, where's my ring?!" GL exclaimed, looking down at his finger in shock.  
"Oh, you mean this?" Argon said, holding up his hand. GL stared in disbelief at the villain's finger upon which his power ring rested. "We couldn't have you using this to escape, now could we?" Argon laughed. "Now I posses the two most powerful weapons in the universe! Kal-El and Green Lantern's power ring! There is no way you can stop me!"

Chapter 34

"You are REALLY starting to annoy me!" Flash yelled, running up behind Argon and taking GL's ring from his finger. He then rushed back to GL and handed the ring to him.  
"Uh, thanks," GL muttered, placing the ring on his finger.  
"Don't mention it," the Scarlet Speedster said as he zoomed back to Argon. The villain dropped the comatose Gargoyle to the ground and blocked Flash's first punch. However, Argon was no match for Flash's superior speed and flinched from the hundreds of punches that followed the first.  
"Well?!" Flash yelled to his teammates. "C'mon! I can't keep this up forever! Ya gonna help me or what?!"  
"Lantern, get Neona!" Batman instructed. He then took out a batarang and threw it at Argon. The batarang hit it's mark, slicing through Argon's right arm. Flash ran back to the group.  
"You'll...pay...for...that..." Argon growled, very, VERY angry. "Kal, take care of the Bat. I can handle the rest of them."

Chapter 35

Argon flew at Flash, who quickly sped out of the way of the oncoming attack. Green Lantern covered Neona with a protective shield from his ring and lifted her over toward the group. He set her down and knelt at her side, using his ring to try to repair her mangled wing.   
Hawkgirl and Wonder Woman both flew at Argon, preparing to attack. Wonder Woman punched at the villain, but Argon easily dodged the attack. However, he moved right into the blow from Hawkgirl's mace, which connected with his face. The villain stumbled backward, clutching his pounding, bloodied face. 

Chapter 36

Superman flew at Batman, pulling back his fist to punch the Dark Knight. Batman easily dodged the punch, and hit Superman with one of his own. The Man of Steel wasn't even fazed. He kicked Batman in the head, sending him flying back into the nearest wall. Superman then waited for his opponent to regain his composure.  
Batman reached into a slot on his Utility Belt and pulled out a small case. He opened the case to reveal a small, green, glowing ring. He placed the ring on his finger and put the case back in the slot. He clenched his fist, looking at the ring.  
'I hate to have to do this,' he thought, now looking at Superman through the rubble around him. 'But this is the only way. I'm sorry, my friend.'  
With that, Batman shoved the brick pieces away from him and rushed at Superman. The Man of Steel prepared to block the attack, but was not prepared for the searing pain that came with the punch. He staggered back, staring at Batman wide-eyed.  
Batman punched Superman again and again. The Man of Steel flinched with each blow, the kryptonite in the ring weakening him hit by hit. He couldn't take this much longer. He would have to either surrender...or die.

Chapter 37

Hawkgirl hovered over Argon, waiting for him to get up. Wonder Woman stood beside the villain, lasso in hand, ready to restrain him. Flash darted from place to place around Argon, watching impatiently.  
Green Lantern quickly yet carefully mended Neona's wing. He looked at the Gargoyle; she appeared so helpless. And yet, he knew she was a powerful creature. He did fear for her, though. She had come into battle when she was still so weak. Was this because of her hatred for Argon? Or perhaps the poison was still in control, clouding her judgment. Whatever the reason, it was reckless and dangerous.   
Suddenly, Neona's eyes snapped open. She sat up and looked at the battles going on near her. She watched as Batman gained the upper hand against Superman. She watched as Flash, Wonder Woman, and Hawkgirl fought valiantly, but hopelessly, she knew, against Argon.  
Neona could tell that Argon was using a mere fraction of his power against the Leaguers. He was trying to lure them into a false sense of security. She couldn't let the happen.  
"You can't go out there," Green Lantern said bluntly to the Gargoyle as she began to stand. "You've been injured too much. Your wing is practically useless. And it was reckless enough coming here when you're still so weak."  
"Argon isn't even trying," Neona remarked. "They don't stand a chance against him when he's at full power, especially if they're having this much trouble with him right now. You'll need my help."  
"You're in no condition to be fighting," came a voice from behind Neona. She looked back to see the Martian Manhunter, in ghost form, rise up through the floor. "Lantern, go help the others," he instructed. GL rushed over and entered the fray.  
"Don't do this, J'onn," Neona pleaded. "You know as well as I do that your team needs me to win this."  
"And I also know that you're too weak to handle a fight like this right now," J'onn said comfortingly. "I won't allow you to get yourself hurt anymore. We will retreat. But we will return once your strength has returned. Only then will you...WE be able to defeat Argon."  
"And what, then, of Superman?" the Gargoyle asked angrily. "Not even I know what Argon may do to him. I hold myself responsible for what has happened and will happen to Superman. This whole mess is my fault. Why won't you let me make atonement for my mistakes?"  
"You will Neona," J'onn answered. "I do not doubt that. But now is not the time. You must regain your strength. I know Superman would say the same thing if he were in my place. Let's just leave, please, and come back when you're well."  
Neona stared at J'onn, perplexed as to why he cared so much about her. All these heroes cared about her. Ever since she had become the last of her kind, she had been shunned by all who had seen her. Many thought her to be a demon, a creature of the Underworld. She was used to solitude.  
And now, she once again, after nearly six hundred years, had people who cared about her. It was almost too much to handle.  
"All right," she finally gave in. "We may leave. But promise me that when we do return, you will not interfere in my fight with Argon. Promise me that."  
"As you wish," J'onn said. He then telepathically called to the others. 'We must retreat,' he told them. 'We must go now. Everyone move out.'  
The other Leaguers, save for Superman, of course, and Batman, each rushed out of the room. Batman continued to fight the Man of Steel. Both refused to let up in their attack.  
"Batman!" J'onn called out. "Hurry! We must leave now!"  
Neona rushed over to help Batman. She hit Superman with her still-bleeding wing. The Man of Steel stumbled back, his face contorting in pain.   
"Come on!" she snapped at Batman. The two began their retreat, making their way across the room to where J'onn was waiting. In their rush, they didn't pay any attention to Argon. The villain used this to his advantage.  
"You're mine!" he cried as he quickly got in front of Batman and Neona, blocking their escape. He grabbed Neona's wrist and pulled her toward him. He then got her in a head-lock, cutting the oxygen off from her lungs.  
"Unhand her!" Batman yelled. He pulled out a batarang.  
"Don't even think about it," Argon said, tightening his grip on Neona. "One false move, and she dies."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 38

"Man, what's taking them?!" Flash asked impatiently. "I'm gonna go back in there and..."  
"No," GL snapped. "We'll wait a few more minutes. We can't just go rushing back in there."

  
Meanwhile...

Batman looked on in alarm as Argon held Neona.  
"Don't take another step, Batman," the villain commanded. "And keep your hands where I can see them. You wouldn't want her to die now, would you?" He snickered. He actually had the upper hand in this fight. That was a first.   
' J'onn, what should we do?' Batman asked through the telepathic link.  
'Leave that up to me,' the Martian replied, becoming intangible and sinking into the floor.   
Batman looked at Argon in disgust. He couldn't believe someone could do something like this. How could someone take over Superman? How could someone be so cruel to someone like Neona?  
Neona struggled unsuccessfully to free herself from Argon's grasp. She was simply too weakened at the moment. J'onn had been right: she was too weak to handle a fight of this magnitude. And now, she would have to pay for it with her life.  
"Just...kill...me..." she stammered, gasping for breath. Argon loosened his grip a bit. "Just kill me, Argon. Don't put me through any more pain. I give up."  
"So, you don't want any more pain, huh?" Argon asked with interest. "Fine then. Let's see how you like this."   
With that, the villain released his hold on the Gargoyle. He grabbed her wings, one in each hand, and pulled them back toward him. He put one of his feet on Neona's back and pushed, stretching her wings out painfully. Finally, Argon stopped when he heard two loud "crack!"s. He let go of Neona's wings, which immediately fell limp at her sides.  
"Now that wasn't painful, was it?" Argon mocked her. Neona gasped, holding in a scream of pain. "Not satisfied, huh? How about this?"  
Now Argon pulled out a small dagger from a sheath in his boot. He once again grabbed Neona in a headlock; one hand held her throat, the other held the dagger in front of her face. He pulled the dagger back, then slashed at her face. Neona screamed as Argon cut a huge gash over her left eye. Blood covered the left side of her field of vision.   
"Neona!" Batman cried out, taking a few cautious steps forward.  
"I warned you!" Argon yelled at him. The villain looked at the Dark Knight, blazing anger and hatred in his eyes. He pulled back the dagger once again, but this time he slashed at Neona's abdomen. She screamed, louder this time, as the dagger sliced through her abdomen, creating a foot-long hole.  
'No!' Batman thought. 'This is all my fault! She'll die if I don't do something! But what can I do?'

Chapter 39

"What was that?" Flash asked nervously, hearing what sounded like a loud scream.

    "That's our cue to go back," Hawkgirl said, rising into the air and starting to fly back toward the building.

    "Wait, we need a plan first," GL said.  Hawkgirl rolled her eyes and touched back down to the ground.  

    The Leaguers were busy making plans.

Meanwhile...

    "No..." Batman whispered, staring in horror at what Argon had done to Neona.  How could this have happened?

    "I told you I would do it, Batman," the villain said calmly.  "You just weren't smart enough to listen to me."  Argon laughed.  He had actually done it; Neona, the last of the Gargoyles, was dying in his arms.  He had finally won!

    "Not yet, you haven't!" a voice said from behind Argon.  J'onn rose out of the ground and put his hands on the sides of Argon's head.  Before the villain knew what was happening, J'onn telepathically assaulted him.  He went into Argon's mind and showed him visions of past defeats by Neona, over and over again.

    Argon released Neona.  The Gargoyle stood for a moment, glad to be free of the villain's grasp.  She then stumbled forward and fell, the pain from her broken wings too much for her to handle.  Blood poured from the rip in her abdomen and from the gash over her eye.

    Argon also fell as J'onn released him.  The visions still played in Argon's head, and the pain he had felt at those times came flooding back to him.  He crawled toward Neona, clutching at his temple with one hand, his face contorted awkwardly in pain.  The villain's eyes were filled with cold hatred and flaming anger.

    "No!" J'onn cried, rushing toward Argon.  He jumped onto the villain and struggled to restrain him.

    Batman rushed to Neona's side and knelt down beside her.  He gently scooped her into his arms and lifted her off the ground.  The Gargoyle looked up at Batman and smiled weakly.  She was in bad shape, but she didn't want to worry Batman any more than he already was.

    "J...J'o...n..." she stammered weakly.  "H-he...lp...J'o...n..."

    "Save your strength," Batman said to her comfortingly.  He then turned to look at J'onn.

    'Go,' the Martian said telepathically.  'I will be fine.  I will keep Argon restrained until you get to safety, and then I will escape.  Now go.'

    Batman was about to leave, when he heard Neona try to speak again.

    "S...Sup...er...man..." she managed to say.  Batman looked around for Superman.  He finally saw the Man of Steel lying on the other side of the room, unconscious.

    "Don't worry, Neona," Batman whispered to her.  "We'll get him when we come back."  And with that, Batman left the room, holding Neona protectively in his arms.

Outside...

    "I'm not waiting any longer!" Flash yelled impatiently.  "Do you know how much time we're wasting, doing this?  For all we know, Batman, J'onn, and Neona could all be dead because we waited!  I'm going!"  Flash sped to the door of the Daily Planet.  Just as he was about to open the door, it swung open and hit him in the face.

    "Ow!" he cried, holding his face.  "Hey!  What gives?"

    Batman emerged from the building, carrying Neona in his arms.

    "Batman!" Diana said in relief, rushing over to him.  "Where is J'onn?  What happened?  Great Hera!"  

    She had looked down at Neona.  She saw the blood rushing from the Gargoyle's wounds.  She knew there wasn't much time to help her.  Neona had already lost a lot of blood, and if she lost much more she would die.  Diana knew that they would need J'onn in order to save her.

Chapter 40

"Where's J'onn?" Green Lantern asked anxiously.  
"He fought Argon to give us time to escape," Batman answered. "We've got to get him out of there."  
"I'll go," GL volunteered. Batman nodded, and GL flew back to the Daily Planet.  
"Is she going to live?" Flash asked nervously, looking at Neona.  
"Once GL comes back with J'onn, we'll take her back to the Watchtower," Batman said. "Then J'onn can try to save her." He looked down at Neona, who was gasping for breath. He quickly turned away, unwilling to see Neona in so much pain.  
"Batman, are you all right?" Diana asked sweetly.  
"...Yes, I'm...fine..." he replied quietly. "Could you...take Neona for me?"  
"Of course," Diana answered, gently lifting Neona out of Batman's arms. She was surprised at how light the body of the Gargoyle was, how fragile the seemingly-deadly creature truly was. Diana held Neona protectively, fearing for the Gargoyle.

A few moments later...  
Green Lantern came rushing out of the Daily Planet, followed closely by J'onn. The Martian landed next to Diana, who handed him Neona's mangled body. He carefully cradled her in his arms and looked sadly at her. He hoped he could save her, but it didn't look good.

Chapter 41

The Leaguers reached the Watchtower and J'onn rushed Neona to the Infirmary. Batman followed slowly, but the others waited in the meeting room. The events that had just unfolded needed to be discussed.  
"She risked her life for us," Diana noted. "She was just trying to help us get Superman back. We must help her in return. It is only fitting that we help her defeat Argon."  
"I couldn't agree more," Green Lantern said. "But the question is, how?"

Infirmary:

Batman paced back and forth in the room, glancing at J'onn every once in a while. He was REALLY worried. Neona had to live...she just had to. He wouldn't forgive himself if she died. He should have made her stay at the Watchtower. He shouldn't have given in and let her come with him.   
'This is all my fault,' Batman kept telling himself. 'She would't be dying if I had only made her stay here. This is all my fault...'  
"No it isn't, Batman," J'onn said softly. "Don't blame yourself. You couldn't have possibly known what was going to happen. It is not your fault."  
"But...I..." Batman didn't know what to say.   
"He's...right...Ba...t...man..." Neona said, having woken up. "It's not...not your...fault..." Batman looked at her, tears welling up in his eyes. She was in so much pain, and yet she was comforting him.  
"Lie still," J'onn said to the Gargoyle. "You must rest while I mend your wounds. Please, rest now."  
"B...Batman..." she stammered. She lifted her hand, weakly motioning Batman over to her. The Dark Knight rushed over and took her hand in his. Neona squeezed Batman's hand tightly. "P-please...don't...leave...m-me..." she begged. Batman noticed a tear roll down her face. He reached down and wiped it away.  
"Don't worry, Neona," he whispered gently, comfortingly. "I won't leave you. I promise." A single tear ran down Batman's cheek. He hated seeing Neona like this, and he would give anything for her to be healed right then and there. He didn't want to see her in any more pain.

Meeting room:  
"I suggest that we destroy Argon," Hawkgirl said. "Perhaps if we destroy him, Superman will be back to normal."  
"Think about it," Flash said skeptically. "Are we ever that lucky?"  
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Flash has a point," Green Lantern said. "Luck usually isn't on our side."

Chapter 42

Infirmary:   
Later that night...  
"J'onn, how is she?" Hawkgirl asked, walking to Neona's bed.   
"She'll be fine," he replied. "She just needs rest and time for her wounds to heal properly."  
"So she'll live?" Diana asked, entering behind Hawkgirl.  
"Of course," J'onn said. He smiled at Diana and Hawkgirl. "I'm sure she would appreciate your concern."  
"Well, Lantern wants us to have a meeting right now," Hawkgirl said. "So if you can, could you join us?"  
"I will," J'onn said, following the two of them out of the infirmary. As he left the room, he set the security system to high alert. That way, if anything happened to Neona, the Leaguers would be alerted automatically.

Meeting Room:  
"What's with the long face, Bats?" Flash asked nonchalantly. "Are you still worried about Neona?"   
Flash, Batman, and Green Lantern sat in the meeting room, waiting for Diana and Hawkgirl to return with J'onn.   
"I'm fine, Flash," Batman said in reply.   
"Right," Flash said skeptically. "Don't worry, Bats. J'onn will take good care of her." Batman didn't say anything more.  
Diana, Hawkgirl, and J'onn entered the room and took seats at the large table.  
"All right," Green Lantern said. "First thing's first. J'onn, how is she doing?"  
"She is doing quite well," the Martian explained. "Her body is healing quickly. She should be on her feet again within days."  
"When will she be able to fight again?" GL asked.   
"I would like her to rest at least one day after she begins to walk," J'onn said.  
"All right," GL said, moving on. "Next, we need to come up with a good plan to defeat Argon and get Superman back. Does anyone have any ideas?"  
"We should wait for Neona to wake up to come up with a plan," Batman said. "She knows more about him than any of us do. She may be able to tell us more about his strengths and weaknesses."  
"Does anyone else object?" GL asked.   
"Whoa, wait a minute," Flash said. "This happened once before. Just to remind everyone, we had planned to take action right away. This time, let's do something intelligent and wait until we find out what we're up against, shall we?"  
Everyone agreed. They would wait for Neona to wake up.

Chapter 43

The Leaguers divided up tasks to do while waiting for Neona to wake up. Green Lantern and Hawkgirl took monitor duty, Flash and Wonder Woman were assigned the job of keeping an eye on Argon and Superman, and J'onn and Batman were to watch over Neona and alert the others when she woke up.  
Batman was doing the job mostly alone. J'onn would come into the Infirmary every once in a while to check on Neona, and would then leave the room. Batman didn't really pay all that much attention to J'onn; he didn't even notice when the Martian would enter or leave the room.  
Batman sat at Neona's bedside, watching the Gargoyle sleep. According to J'onn, she was healing quickly and efficiently. Each of her bleeding wounds had healed, save for the gash in her abdomen. The gash over her left eye had faded into a dark scar, and the other gaping wounds had faded altogether. Her wings and back were broken, but J'onn had told Batman that he was confident they would soon heal with the same speed and efficiency as her other wounds had.  
"Why did I let you come with me?" Batman whispered. "Why didn't I make you stay behind? If I had, you wouldn't be in this condition. This is all my fault." Batman felt a slender hand grasp his own tightly. He looked down to see Neona's hand entwined with his.  
"I wish you would stop blaming yourself," the Gargoyle said softly. "I would have found my own way to Argon even if you had left me here. And if that would have happened, I would be in worse shape right now. What you did was for the best."  
"Neona, I..." Batman began.  
"Please, I need to tell you this," she interrupted him. "I haven't ever told this to anyone. I haven't ever had anyone to tell. I wish to tell you the story of the destruction of my people."  
"You should rest, Neona," Batman said. He didn't want to make her remember something so painful.  
"I'm all right," she insisted. "It began almost 6-and-a-half centuries ago. A group of outcast Gargoyles captured a powerful creature. This creature was young and alien to us. He was called Argon."

Chapter 44

"See anything suspicious yet?" Flash asked Diana.  
"No, nothing," the Amazon answered. "They have been in that room since we left here earlier. But we still need ot be alert."  
"Yeah, you got that right," the Scarlet Speedster agreed. "I don't trust that Argon character for one second. He's got a trick up his sleeve for sure."

  
Monitor Womb:  
"Nothing is going on," Hawkgirl said, bored. "I wish there would be some action. Sitting around like this is boring!"  
"Be careful what you wish for," Green Lantern said. "And besides, it's probably for the best. We'd be a few Leaguers short to be going on a mission right now."  
"I guess you're right," Hawkgirl remarked. "But I'm still bored."

  
Infirmary:  
"Argon?" Batman asked, surprised.  
"Yes," Neona replied grimly. "He was injured, so my clan took him in and we nursed him back to health. At first we treated him as a hostile creature, but he soon showed us that we need not fear him. We raised him, treated him as one of us. But that would change all too soon. Argon wasn't very well liked by a few of the tougher male Gargoyles. They saw him as an outsider. He looked too much like a human, and humans didn't care much for us. Those Gargoyles, who called themselves the War Hawks, planned to scare Argon away from the clan, or even destroy him. They captured him and tortured him, almost to the point of death. We were lucky to find them when we did, or they would have surely killed him. Argon hated all of my people from that day forward. He didn't just blame the ones who did it to him, he blamed all of us. The rage built up inside him for decades before he finally snapped."  
"What happened?" Batman asked.  
"Argon decided that he would no longer take it," Neona said. "The humiliation, the feeling of being different, the nightmares, the memories of that night. They all drove him mad. He started killing any Gargoyle he would see. He soon became a feared tyrant. Many resistance groups formed and tried to defeat him, but few lasted more than three minutes against him. The Gargoyles were doomed to death from the time we took Argon in. It was inevitable that something like that would happen. Our race was bound to become extinct at his hands."

Chapter 45

"I...I don't understand," Batman said, looking at Neona in shock. "How did you escape?"  
"I'm getting to that," Neona assured him. "The leader of my clan, Lord Precursor, gathered those of us who were left. Most of our clan had been killed in the beginning of Argon's onslaught. But some of us remained. I was the youngest of our clan, and as such I was seen as the most important member. You see, the young members of the clan are the ones who hold the future of our race in their hands. If no one else was to live, I had to, in order to continue on our race."  
"So, that's why you are the last of your kind," Batman said. "You were the youngest, and so you were the most protected."  
"Yes, Batman," Neona replied. "But living would not be a blessing. I will tell you what happened. Our clan was on the move. We wanted to get as far away from Argon as possible. But he had found us. He found us and slaughtered all but Lord Precursor and myself. Lord Precursor took me and together we fled. But we got separated, and I knew that I had to continue on alone." She paused a moment, remembering that day.  
"Neona, are you all right?" Batman asked with concern.  
"Of course," she said, preparing to continue. "I, too, would have perished on that day like all of the others. I was a mere child, the youngest of the Gargoyles. Argon soon found me and was about to fight me. I didn't shand a chance against Argon! Then, Lord Precursor showed up and fought Argon to protect me. But Precursor was the oldest Gargoyle, and though that title comes with great wisdom, it also bears great frialty. I had fought valiantly to protect my great leader, but I was no match for the creature called Argon. He had me in his sights, and I was to be the last to die, while our Lord Precursor was forced to watch. I fell to my knees, the pain from our battle unlike anything I had ever felt before. Argon's eyes glowed red as he prepared to hit me with a beam of heat vision. I awaited my death, wanting so badly to be able to die a warrior's death, but knowing I could no longer fight. Then, the red beams of light flew at me. I closed my eyes, preparing to die. But Precursor got in the way. He jumped in front of me and took the full force of the blast. He saved my life, but at the cost of his own life. And it bought me time to escape without Argon noticing until it was too late. However, I was forced to live out my days knowing that I was the last of my kind, and that I should have been able to do something to save at least some of them."  
"Neona..." Batman whispered, imagining how horrified she must have been. He knew what it felt like to lose those closest to you. It had happened to him when he was just a little boy.  
"I forced myself to grow stronger, pushing myself past every possible limit," Neona went on. "And soon, my strength matched even that of Argon. He hates me not only because I am a Gargoyle, but because I am the only person who has ever escaped from him alive when he didn't want them to. Basically, he hates me because my power and cunning rivals his own. And, as you have already witnessed, he will stop at nothing to destroy me."  
"Neona, I am sorry," Batman said. "You couldn't know how much I understand what you feel like."  
"But I do know," she said, looking deep into Batman's eyes. "I know who you are, Batman. I know everything there is to know about you. I have watched you grow from the time you were a young child. You amaze me with your determination." The Gargoyle smiled at the Dark Knight.  
"You...you know?" he asked, astonished. "But...you couldn't possibly have been there when..." He stopped, remembering the night his parents were killed.  
"Yes, Bruce," Neona said empathetically. "I was there. I watched it happen. And if there would have been anything I could have done to stop that from happening, I would have. I have never wanted something like that to happen to anyone, especially a young child like you were. I am very sorry for not trying harder to save your parents. I am sorry."  
"No, don't blame yourself," Batman said, eyes wide and voice hoarse. "You...couldn't have possibly known...what was going to happen...I do not blame you."  
"Thank you for hearing me out," Neona said with gratitude. "I...I haven't ever told anyone what I just told you. I hope you can promise not to tell anyone, unless I give you permission."  
"Of course," Batman agreed. "You wouldn't tell anyone my secret, would you?"  
"You can trust me with a secret," Neona said truthfully.  
"Now you should rest," Batman told her, staring deeply into her eyes.  
"I shall," she replied. She squeezed his hand. He bent down and kissed hers. He then let go of her hand and made his way over to the nearby table. He sat there and watched as Neona slept soundly.  
"How is she?" J'onn asked as he entered the room.  
"She's fine," Batman said. "She was awake but now she has begun to sleep again."  
"Good," J'onn said in an odd tone of voice. "You can go now, I'll watch her for a while."  
"That's all right, J'onn," Batman insisted. "I don't mind staying here. I don't have anything important to do right now."  
"I must insist," J'onn urged. "Please, go check on Flash and Diana. They may need help."  
"What are you up to?" Batman asked suspiciously. J'onn gave no answer. He walked closer to Batman and looked into his eyes. Batman tried to resist the telepathic onslaught, but it was too much. He fell to his knees, clutching his head in pain. Soon, Batman slipped out of consciousness, leaving J'onn alone with Neona.

Chapter 46

"They're up to something, I just know it!" Flash exclaimed. "When the bad guys just sit around like this, you know something's going down. We should check in with the others."  
"Yes, I agree," Diana said. She turned on her comm link. "Diana to Watchtower, do you read?"  
"This is the Watchtower," Hawkgirl said. "What is it, Diana?"  
"We believe that Argon and Superman might be planning something," she replied. "Flash and I wish to move in."  
"All right," Green Lantern said. "But proceed with caution. We still don't know Argon's true potential."  
"Understood," Diana said. "Diana out."  
"Why do you guys always act so...ARMY when you talk over the comm links?" Flash asked. "I mean, jeeze, loosen up!"  
"Men, so immature," Diana mumbled.

Infirmary:  
J'onn looked at Batman's comatose body and, satisfied that he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon, he walked over to Neona's bedside. He stared down at the Gargoyle, cold hatred in his eyes.   
"J'onn," Green Lantern said over the intercom. "J'onn, we need you in the Monitor Womb now. Please come down here at once."  
J'onn looked at the intercom with disgust. But he would have to maintain the illusion that he was still one of them. So he left the Infirmary and made his way to the Monitor Womb.

Chapter 47

Monitor Womb:  
"What is it you need?" J'onn asked as he entered the room.  
"Yes, J'onn," Green Lantern said. "We want you to go help Diana and Flash. They're going to move in and see what Argon and Superman are up to. We want you to go make sure they aren't walking into a trap or anything."  
"I can't do that," J'onn said. "I have a very important matter to attend to at this moment."  
"Ok, could you ask Batman?" Hawkgirl asked, amazed that J'onn would decline from a mission.  
"Right now Batman is...busy," the Martian lied.  
"All right, what's going on," Green Lantern asked suspiciously. "You've never declined to help us before, J'onn, no matter what you were doing. And if you're saying Batman is busy because he's watching over Neona, we can do that from here if we must."  
"You must accept my answer and leave me in peace," J'onn said, anger slightly evident in his voice. "Or I may be forced to make you see."  
"What's wrong, J'onn?" Hawkgirl asked. "You're acting very strangely."  
"Just let me get about my business," he replied. As he was leaving the Monitor Womb, Green Lantern walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.  
"You're not going anywhere until you tell us what's going on," GL said with determination. J'onn looked at his hand, a scowl forming on his face. The Martian telepathically attacked GL, who grabbed his head in pain. Hawkgirl rushed to Lantern's side.  
"GL, what's wrong?" she asked in panic. She looked at J'onn. "Stop it! What are you doing to him?!" Hawkgirl then grabbed her own head, as J'onn attacked her as well. Both GL and Hawkgirl slowly sank to the ground, and soon fell unconscious.

Chapter 48

"What the heck was that all about?" Flash asked nervously. They had heard what had happened to Green Lantern and Hawkgirl over the comm. link.   
"I'm not sure," Diana said uneasily. "But I suggest that we go back to the Watchtower and check it out. If we heard what I think we heard, Argon has found a new recruit: J'onn."  
"No way!" Flash exclaimed. "Argon couldn't be THAT powerful…could he?"

Watchtower:  
J'onn made his way back to the Infirmary, where a surprise awaited him.

Chapter 49

As J'onn entered the Infirmary, something tripped him. He fell forward and landed next to Batman. Wait...if Batman was still knocked out...  
"Yeah, it's me, J'onn," Neona said, picking him up by his cape and throwing him into the wall. "I can't believe that you of all people fell under Argon's control, J'onn. I thought you were much stronger than that."  
"How did you get healed so fast?" the Martian spat. "Just a few minutes ago you were barely able to talk, let alone fight." He punched at Neona and hit her in the gut.  
"Oh, didn't you know?" she said mockingly. "No, I guess your 'boss' wouldn't bother telling you. I have regenerative powers. They aren't all that strong, but they do come in handy." Neona wrapped her tail around J'onn's neck and threw him, causing him to hit one of the beds in the room. He flew back at her and she prepared to whip him with her tail. He went ghost and flew through her, then resolidified and punched her in the back.   
Neona knew she was in no condition to be fighting, but she also knew what Argon and his minions were capable of. She couldn't let J'onn take her to Argon. She couldn't let him continue to hurt his friends. She would find a way to stop him.

Chapter 50

Diana and Flash flew in the Javelin toward the Watchtower.  
"I'm very worried," Diana said. "I hope my assumption is incorrect about J'onn."  
"You're not the only one, Princess," Flash said. "J'onn's a great guy. I wouldn't wanna hafta fight him."

Watchtower:  
Neona was attacking J'onn with everything she had. She knew that once Argon had taken over J'onn, he had made the Martian stronger. But she also knew J'onn was still there, trapped somewhere in his own mind. She would have to try to reach him.  
"J'onn, look at what you're doing!" she exclaimed, dodging a punch. "You've hurt your friends, and you're trying to take me to Argon! Why are you doing this? You must fight Argon's control! I know you're stronger than that coward!"  
"Do not speak that way about Lord Argon!" J'onn yelled, grabbing Neona's tail as she dodged another blow. He threw her into the wall, and then grabbed her wrist and threw her into one of the beds.  
"Don't make me hurt you, J'onn," Neona said pleadingly. "I don't want to hurt you. You're my friend, one of the only friends I've ever had. I care about you, J'onn. I really do." She punched J'onn in the jaw, sending him to the ground. She then got on top of him an pinned him down to the ground.  
"Get off of me, you filthy Gargoyle!" J'onn yelled.  
"No," Neona said sternly. "Not until I have freed you from Argon's control. Don't make this any harder than it already is, J'onn." She stared into his eyes as hers began to glow. Then J'onn's eyes started to glow as he tried to force Neona out of his mind. She slapped him with her tail and continued searching his mind. Finally, J'onn stopped struggling.  
"That's better," Neona whispered. "I promise this won't hurt for too long, my friend."  
Suddenly, J'onn clutched at his temples, screaming in pain. Neona cringed, hating to do this to him, but she knew she had no choice. Then, J'onn stopped screaming and went limp.  
Neona felt a hand on her shoulder.  
"What's going on?" Batman asked her. "What are you doing to J'onn?"  
"He's free now," Neona said as a tear rolled down her face. "I freed him from Argon's control. He'll be all right once he wakes up. He will probably have a bit of a headache, though."  
"Neona, are you all right?" Batman asked, noticing the tear. "What's wrong?"  
"It was painful for him," she whispered. "It hurt me to have to hurt him. I...I could feel his pain as I did it. But...he left me no other choice..."  
Batman helped her to her feet and hugged her, holding her close to him. She hugged him back and cried into his shoulder.  
"J'onn will be grateful," Batman said. "I know he will. Don't worry now, everything will be okay."

Chapter 51

Neona lifted J'onn onto one of the beds. She turned his head to expose the back of his neck. She then found a small device attached to the back of his neck.   
"What is that?" Batman asked, looking over Neona's shoulder.  
"This is what Argon uses to gain control over his minions," she answered with disgust. "I will try to remove it."   
She carefully placed her slender fingers around the small device and found a small button on the side of it. She cautiously pressed the button, and the device sent a wave of electricity into her body. She quickly pulled back, rubbing her hand and looked at Batman.  
"It looks like I'll have to cut it out," she said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wonder Woman landed the Javelin and she and Flash got out. Flash picked her up and rushed with her to the Monitor Womb.  
"Hawkgirl!" Diana said, shaking her friend. "Hawkgirl, wake up!"  
"Hey, GL, c'mon!" Flash said, doing the same to Green Lantern. "Wake up! Wake up!"  
"Ughn," Hawkgirl groaned as she opened her eyes.  
"What happened?" Diana asked.  
"It was J'onn," Hawkgirl said disbelievingly. "We asked him if he would go help you guys and he said no. When GL asked him what was wrong, J'onn...attacked us."  
"Yeah, that's right," GL said, standing. "I don't know what got into him."  
"Let's find out, shall we?" Flash said. He zoomed out of the room and down the hallway toward the Infirmary.  
When Flash entered the room, he became immediately frightened. Neona stood over J'onn with a scalpel as Batman stood back and watched.  
"What the heck do you think you're doing?!" he cried in fear.  
"Stay back, Flash," Batman said. "She's going to free J'onn from Argon's control."  
"Well why the heck does she have a scalpel?!" Flash asked, looking at it nervously.  
"I have to cut out the device that Argon is using to control him," Neona said quietly. "Now if you don't mind, please keep quiet. I'm trying to concentrate."  
"Oh, sorry," Flash muttered. "I think I'll just...leave now. I'll tell the others what's going on." And with that, Flash left the room.   
Neona began to carefully cut around the device. If she cut just one centemeter off, she could kill J'onn. She had to do this right.

Chapter 52

 "She's doing WHAT?!" Green Lantern yelled. "She's in no condition to be performing that kind of procedure! And Batman's LETTING her?!"

"Jeeze, GL, settle down," Flash said. "I think she knows what she's doing, ok, or else I wouldn't have let her do it. And I don't think Bats would have let her if he didn't feel the same way."

"He's right, GL," Hawkgirl said. "I trust Neona and I also trust Batman's judgement. If he thinks this is the right thing to do, then it must be."

Infirmary:

Neona worked slowly and carefully to remove the device from J'onn. She wouldn't allow herself to make a mistake. This was a procedure of great importance.

"I'm almost done," Neona said with relief after about an hour. "I just have to seal the hole now. This shouldn't take too long." She soon had it sealed and J'onn would now be fine.

"Well done, Neona," Batman said, placing a hand on her shoulder. He noticed that she was shaking slightly. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied. "It's just...that was difficult. I was so afraid that I would screw up and kill him."

"But you didn't," Batman said. "You did a fine job. I'm proud of you."

"Well it's good to know you didn't kill him," GL said angrily as he and the other Leaguers entered the room. "What in God's name were you thinking?! You are in no condition to be doing things like this!"

"Give her a break, GL," Flash begged. "She did a good job. Don't be so hard on her."

"Don't tell me what to do, Flash!" GL yelled. "Would you still be sticking up for her if she HAD killed J'onn?"

"Of course I would!" the Scarlet Speedster said matter-of-factly.

"The fact is that she DIDN'T kill him," Batman said in Neona's defense. "She did, in fact, probably save his life."

Neona quietly slipped out of the room as the Leaguers argued. She knew they didn't have time for this. Each wasted moment was a moment that Argon could use to plan and get stronger, or make Superman stronger. She made her way to the docking bay and got into the Batwing. She then took off toward the Daily Planet.

"Uh, guys," Hawkgirl said, interrupting the argument. "I really do hate to interrupt, but where IS Neona?"

Chapter 53

The Batwing quickly approached the Daily Planet. Neona landed the jet on the roof of a building a few blocks away. She then exited the craft and flew on her own wings the rest of the way to the Daily Planet.  
The Gargoyle walked silently down the hallway toward the room where Argon and Superman had been. She waited patiently for a sign of life from inside the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Where would she go?" Flash asked, a quizzical look on his face.  
Batman looked at him with fear in his eyes. He then left the room and made his way toward the docking bay. The others quickly followed him.  
"What is it, Bats?" Flash asked. Batman didn't answer him. When they reached the docking bay, he opened the door.   
"She took the Batwing?!" Diana asked in alarm. Batman turned and punched the wall in anger and frustration. He wouldn't look at the other Leaguers.  
"Flash, go check on J'onn," Diana commanded. "GL, Hawkgirl, you two go to the Monitor Womb and try to get a lock on the Batwing. Try to contact Neona." Flash sped off to do what he was told. Hawkgirl and GL hurried to the Monitor Womb, leaving Batman and Diana alone.  
"Batman..." Diana said, placing a hand on his shoulder.  
"She went to fight Argon," Batman said angrily, worriedly. "I know she did. And she went alone."  
"Batman, I know how much you care about her," Diana said slowly. "And I'm sorry that she might get hurt. I...I wish..." her voice trailed off as she stared at Batman. She suddenly advanced on him, and their lips met. Diana clung to Batman passionately, closing her eyes to absorb the pleasure. But then, Batman pushed her away from him.  
"Batman, what's wrong?" Diana asked, feeling rejected.  
"I can't do this," he answered. "I...I love Neona. I love her, Diana. Her glowing red eyes, so filled with passion; her long, beautiful white hair, so soft to the touch; the way she moves with the mysterious grace of a creature of the night. I'm sorry, Diana, but I love her."  
"That...was beautiful," Diana said, smiling. "I understand, Batman. And I apologize for tempting you. What you just said...the words were so passionate..."  
"She's at the Daily Planet," Hawkgirl said as she and Green Lantern entered the room. "Uh...are we...interrupting anything?" she asked, a hint of excitement in her voice.  
"No, nothing," Diana said, smiling comfortingly at Batman. "Let's go check on Flash and J'onn."  
They made their way to the Infirmary and entered the room. Flash stood at J'onn's bedside, looking down at the Martian. J'onn was breathing heavily and irregularly, eyes glassy staring straight up at the ceiling with a fearful expression. His hands tightly grasped the blanket that covered him, not at all ready to let go.  
"No...Neona!" he cried. "Argon...Superman...too much...Neona, get out of there!"

Chapter 54

"Sshhh, J'onn, calm down," Flash whispered to his friend. He looked back at the other Leaguers. "He was like this when I came in here. He says Neona's in trouble, that Argon and Supes will kill her. Someone's gotta talk some sense into him."  
"J'onn," Diana said, approaching the bed. She grasped J'onn's hand. "J'onn, calm down. I'm here, I won't let anything happen to you. Please calm down and tell me what's happening." J'onn's other hand relaxed a little bit, and his breathing began to return to normal.  
"Neona..." he said quietly. "Neona, you must fight the pain. You must win. You can't fail. You can't...die..."  
"She won't die, J'onn," Batman said, standing beside Diana. He put a hand on J'onn's shoulder. "But if you want to save her, you have to calm down and help us. We'll rescue her together, as a team." J'onn's eyes returned to normal as he looked at Batman. His eyes held a pleading look in them.  
"Don't worry, buddy," Flash said. "We're here for ya."  
"Will you help us, J'onn?" Batman asked. "Will you help us save Neona?" J'onn looked at him, looking for the answer. He thought back to Neona, back to the pain she was feeling. Argon was torturing her, just as he had been tortured. Could J'onn really let her suffer like that?  
"Yes, I will help you," J'onn finally said. "Neona no longer deserves to suffer. Let's go rescue her."

Chapter 55

Flash helped J'onn to his feet, and the Leaguers all made their way to the docking bay. They all got in the Javelin and Batman set the coordinates for the Daily Planet. The Javelin lifted off the ground and took off toward Earth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daily Planet: Neona was chained to a wall of the room. She struggled to free herself, but each time the chains sent a shock wave through her, causing her to fall limp. She eventually gave up trying to free herself and telepathically called to J'onn for help. She soon reached him, but soon after, Argon and Superman returned to the room.  
"I see you have stopped trying to escape," Argon laughed at Neona. "You were a fool to come here alone. You should have brought your friends from the Justice League. But no matter. All the more fun for us when they eventually do come to try to rescue you."  
"You...you can't...defeat...all of...them...at once..." Neona stammered. Argon pointed what appeared to be a remote control of some kind at Neona. He pressed a button on it, and a huge shock wave shot through Neona's body. Her face contorted from the pain, and her body twitched violently.  
"Don't even bother talking unless I tell you to," Argon said, smirking maliciously. "You will soon learn the pain which your people caused me. Soon, you will beg for death, just as I did, but you will not receive it. Soon, you will know how I felt."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Javelin:  
"No...not again..." J'onn whispered. He felt Neona's pain coursing through his body. He didn't want the others to notice, so he closed his eyes. However, this only made it worse. Now, J'onn could see what was happening to Neona. He opened his eyes and realized he was covered in cold sweat. Green Lantern looked at him and frowned.  
"Are you all right, J'onn?" he asked anxiously.  
"Yes, I'm fi-" But J'onn couldn't finish. He began to twitch violently, the pain too much to bear.  
"J'onn...J'ONN!" Green Lantern yelled. J'onn fell to the floor. His eyes were glassy and his breathing came in shallow gasps. Green Lantern knelt at J'onn's side and held him down to stop him from twitching.  
"Neona!" J'onn yelled. "No! Stop! Argon...AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 56

Argon stared at Neona, who was now unconscious. How easy it would be to kill her now and accomplish his goal. But, then she would not know his suffering, she would not know what he went through. She would not understand why he hated her people so much. Why did he want her to understand? He didn't know.  
Superman looked at Neona. This was supposed to be Argon's greatest rival for over six centuries? Ha! This creature had been so easily defeated by he and Argon twice now! How could Argon have had so much trouble with her for so long?  
Neona started to regain consciousness. She shook her head and opened her eyes. She stared at Argon with burning anger in her eyes. She was, of course, just pretending to be this weak. She knew Argon would still expect her to be weak and vulnerable, so she used that to her advantage. She was letting herself get hurt, knowing that soon the time would come for her to turn the tables on Argon. She was only sad that J'onn was feeling her pain as well. She knew it was a lot, but she was used to pain. She didn't mind it. But she knew it must be terribly mind-numbing for J'onn. He was not used to it. He might even die from it if he didn't close the telepathic link between them.   
' J'onn,' she said telepathically. ' J'onn, listen to me. You must close the telepathic link between us. You know where I am, and you can come help me if you wish. But close the telepathic link. Don't you see? It's killing you.'  
'But, Neona...' J'onn began.  
'Do not argue with me, J'onn,' she snapped. 'You know as well as I do what is happening. The mental strain is too much for you, as well as the physical pain. Just do as I say.'  
'All right,' he gave in. 'But Neona, be careful.'  
'Don't worry,' she assured him. 'It's not like I'm going anywhere.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Javelin:  
J'onn closed the telepathic link between he and Neona. He lifted himself back into his seat.  
"Are you all right, J'onn?" Green Lantern asked.   
"Yes, I will be fine now," J'onn answered sadly. "I have closed the telepathic link to Neona, upon her request. I will no longer feel her pain." 

Chapter 57

This was it. Neona would soon get her chance to break free of her restraints and fight Argon one on one. She would just wait for Superman to get preoccupied.  
"It looks as if we have finally taught this monster some manners," Argon said to Superman. "Do not speak unless spoken to. Perhaps she has yet a chance at becoming civilized, before I decide to kill her. What do you say, Kal?"  
"Perhaps, my Lord," Superman answered with mock hope. He looked at Neona and scowled.   
Neona scowled back at Superman. She knew he wasn't strong enough to be able to fight Argon's control over him, but she still despised him. Whether or not he could control it, he could see what was happening. He knew he was hurting Neona, and he knew he had hurt his friends. Couldn't his emotions help him break free of Argon's control?  
Then again, Neona thought of something else. Perhaps Superman had tried, but nothing worked. He was probably begging for death. Neona knew she would not give it to him, no matter how badly he wanted it. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Javelin:  
"There," Batman said, pointing out the window at the parked Batwing. "That's where she landed. We'll touch down close by and enter the Daily Planet. J'onn, Diana and I will go first. Flash, GL, and Hawkgirl, you guys wait until we give you the signal and then you can follow."  
"Gotcha," Flash confirmed. The others nodded in agreement.  
Batman landed the Javelin and he, J'onn, and Diana exited the craft. They all quickly made their way to the Daily Planet. When they reached the entrance into the building, Batman stopped them.   
"Be careful in there," he said to his two teammates. "Let me worry about Superman. You two can free Neona and take on Argon."  
"Are you sure you can handle Superman on your own?" Diana asked.  
"Yeah, I can," Batman answered confidently. "Now let's get going."  
The three of them entered the building and made their way to the room where Argon and Superman were holding Neona.

Chapter 58

"I don't see why WE have to be the ones to stay behind and wait," Hawkgirl whined.  
"I don't see why you always complain when you aren't fighting," Flash shot at her. "I mean, there IS more to life than just fighting you know!"  
"Why...you..." Hawkgirl said angrily, holding up her mace.   
"All right you two," Green Lantern said. He stepped in between Flash and Hawkgirl. "The last thing we need right now is for you two to start going at it. We need to be ready to help the others. Stop bickering."  
"Fine," Hawkgirl spat, glaring at Flash. Flash glared back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Neona stared at Superman, attempting to read his mind. She stared into his eyes and read into his mind. She tried desperately to contact the real Superman.  
'Superman,' Neona called telepathically. 'Superman, if you can hear me, please answer.'  
'N-neona?' she heard the telepathic reply. 'Neona, are you all right? I...I don't want to hurt you anymore...but...I can't help it...I can't control myself...'  
'Don't worry about it, my friend,' Neona replied gently. 'I understand what it's like to be under Argon's control. I...I was once as well, very long ago. And I know you can overcome that monster. You eventually will, I have faith in you.'  
'Thank you, Neona,' Superman said gratefully. 'You should stop talking to me now. I...I don't want...to tell Argon...but...I...'  
'Understood, Superman,' Neona said. 'Farewell, my friend. Fight Argon with all your might. My fate, and the fate of your friends, depend on it.' Neona left Superman's mind. She looked at Argon and grimaced.   
"Kal, go outside and wait for your friends," Argon said. "They will arrive at our door shortly. I want you to take care of them while I deal with this Gargoyle once and for all."  
"Of course, Lord Argon," Superman replied, leaving the room.   
"You're all mine, Neona," Argon said, approaching Neona. He pulled out a dagger. "You see this? It's lined with a variation the poison that I gave to Star Sapphire earlier to use on you. You remember how weak you felt? Imagine that pain and weakness increased a hundred fold! There is no way that you will survive this!"   
Argon raised the dagger over Neona's head. She looked at it nervously. The villain then brought the dagger down and shoved it into Neona's chest. The Gargoyle looked at Argon, terror in her eyes. Argon pulled the dagger from her chest. Green blood poured from the wound, running down Neona's body and dripping to the floor. Neona glanced around the room frantically. Blood now began to drip from her mouth. The Gargoyle's vision began to blur, and she knew this was the end. She faintly heard a crash, and weakly looked toward the window to see J'onn and Wonder Woman enter the room. Then, everything went black.......

Chapter 59

Batman slowly, silently made his way to the room where Argon and Superman were holding Neona. He took out the kryptonite ring that Superman had given him for safekeeping and placed it on his finger. He had to be ready for anything.  
Batman stopped in his tracks when he heard a door close quietly. He silently took out his night vision goggles and put them on. There, waiting in front of the door to the room where Neona was, stood Superman. Batman pulled out a batarang and threw it at the Man of Steel. Superman caught the batarang and crushed it, looking in Batman's direction. He flew at the Dark Knight and raised his hand to punch him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

J'onn and Wonder Woman crashed through the window and into the room where Argon and Neona were. J'onn took one look at Neona and cried out. It had happened, Argon had killed her! J'onn scanned Neona's mind for some sign of life. He knew this would happen, he had known she couldn't fight him alone...And now, she was gone...  
No...wait...there it was.  
'No...not like this...' Neona thought. 'I...I can't die...like this...I...must defeat...Argon...'  
Neona was still alive!  
"Diana!" J'onn cried. "Keep Argon busy! There may still be a chance to save Neona!" Wonder Woman nodded and flew at Argon. The Kryptonian and the Amazon began to fight. Argon punched Diana in the gut, but received a kick to the head. The two of them continued to fight.  
J'onn freed Neona from the shackles that bound her to the wall. He gently cradled her in his arms and looked at her sadly. He closed his eyes and gingerly touched her forehead.  
'Neona,' he said telepathically. 'Neona, you have to heal yourself. You must. We can't lose you. We need your help. You must heal yourself.'  
' J'onn...?' Neona asked weakly. She cringed slightly in the Martian's arms. 'I...I can't...too weak...dying...can't...focus...'  
'Neona, listen to me,' J'onn begged her. 'You are not going to die. I will not let you. You have to heal yourself. Do it now. Don't let yourself lose to Argon. You're stronger than this. Please, you have to try...'  
'Trying...no...can't...' she gasped. 'I...I am too weak...I...I'm sorry...I am too...we...a...k...'  
'No!' J'onn cried. He clutched Neona's body closer to him. 'Neona, I won't let you die like this! You can't die! Please, don't die!' Tears welled up in J'onn's eyes. He felt Neona's mind weakening. He couldn't let her die, but what could he do?  
'Batman!' he called. 'Batman, where are you?!'  
' I'm sort of busy, J'onn,' he answered.   
'What are you doing?' J'onn asked urgently.  
'Superman is giving me a hard time, despite my kryptonite ring,' Batman aswered. 'What is it?'  
'It's Neona,' J'onn answered sadly. 'She is dying. You have to hurry! She won't last much longer!'  
'WHAT?!' Batman yelled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You did this!" Batman yelled at Superman, hitting him square in the jaw. "You let him kill Neona!"  
Superman stepped back, weakening from the kryptonite. This was too much for him. He fought as hard as he could, but he still couldn't control himself. And what was Batman talking about? Neona wasn't dead, was she?  
"Bat...m-man..." he managed to say. He was starting to gain control. "W-what...are...you talking about?"  
"Shut up and fight me!" Batman yelled. He punched Superman again and again. The Man of Steel didn't fight back. He was now in control of himself, which must mean that Argon was weakening. Superman fell to his knees and looked up at Batman.  
"I...I'm in control again," he said. "Go...help...Neona..." Superman passed out cold. Batman glared at him furiously. He then smashed through the door. What he saw horrified him.  
"N-neona?!" he cried, rushing over to J'onn. "I-is s-she...?"  
"No, not yet," the Martian replied. He handed Neona's dying body to Batman.  
"Neona...you can't die on me..." Batman whispered into her ear. "You have to fight...for me...D-don't die..."  
"B-bat...m-man...?" Neona managed to say, her voice quavering. She opened her eyes and smiled at him weakly.  
"I'm here, Neona," he whispered. "Y-you have to try and heal yourself, like J'onn said. Please, try...we...I need you..."  
"I...c-can't...I-I'm...s-sor...ry..." she whispered back weakly. "...too...weak...p-poisoned...dying..."  
"NO!" Batman said. "Y-you aren't going to die...you can't die...You have to defeat Argon, just like you said you would. R-remember? You vowed that you would...to avenge your people..."  
"I...l-love...you...Bat...m...a...n..." she stammered weakly.  
"I love you too, Neona," he said. He looked into her dim eyes. Tears formed in his eyes. No, she couldn't go like this. She couldn't die...not her too...just like his parents...just like Jason...She just couldn't die...he wouldn't be able to take it...  
"G-good...b-b-bye..." Neona stammered. She closed her eyes and her body fell limp in Batman's arms. He stared at her, eyes widening in disbelief.  
"N-no..." he stammered. "N-neona? Neona! NEONA, say something!" He fell to his knees, clutched Neona's body close to his, and cried over her. 

Chapter 60

Wonder Woman fought Argon hard, not willing to be defeated. When they heard Batman yell, they both stopped fighting. They looked over at Batman and J'onn.  
"No!" Batman cried. "No! She's not...she can't be...no..."  
"Yes!" Argon yelled. "She's finally gone! I've finally destroyed the last of the Gargoyles! Now you will all die!"  
"You...did...WHAT?!" Diana screamed. She looked in horror at Batman holding Neona's broken body. "You'll pay for this! You monster! How could you?!" She took out her lasso and flung it at Argon. The villain made no attempt to avoid the lasso, and it bound him. Diana tightened the lasso around Argon and pulled him toward her. His every secret, everything true about him flowed along the lasso and into Diana. She gasped and looked at Argon, learning what he truly was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Batman..." J'onn said, placing a hand on the Dark Knight's shoulder. He didn't know what to say, didn't know how to comfort him. J'onn was also struck with disbelief. Neona...couldn't be...dead...  
"No...she's not...she can't be..." Batman kept saying. He wouldn't believe it...he couldn't. "She...she's going to wake up...she will..."  
"Batman...I'm sorry..." J'onn said. "She...she's gone. There's nothing more we can do..." He hung his head and closed his eyes. There wasn't anything they could possibly do. They weren't miracle workers. J'onn decided to contact the others.  
'Lantern,' he called telepathically. 'Get the others. We need your help. Desperately.'  
'What happened, J'onn?' GL asked. 'What is it?'  
'It's Neona...' J'onn said slowly. 'She...she's gone...'  
'What?!' GL cried. 'You mean...?'  
'Yes, Neona's dead,' J'onn said.

Chapter 61

"What's goin' on, GL?" Flash asked. "We goin' in or what?" Lantern didn't reply. He stared straight ahead, eyes full of sadness.  
"GL, what's wrong?" Hawkgirl asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.  
"I-it's Neona," he said quietly. "S'she's...gone..."  
"What?" Flash asked disbelievingly. "G-gone? You mean...she's...d...d...dead?"  
"No...she can't be..." Hawkgirl stammered. Her eyes narrowed in anger. "Argon...is gonna...pay for that..." she said through gritted teeth, holding up her mace.  
"We've gotta get him for this!" Flash yelled. "You two wanna lift?" he asked, picking up his teammates and zoomed to the Daily Planet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Diana gasped as she learned what Argon was...  
"You're...you're half Gargoyle!" she stammered. "You destroyed your own people! What kind of monster are you?!"  
"No...there must be some mistake..." Argon stuttered. The lasso showed him the truth, but he didn't believe it. "I...I can't be..."  
"But you ARE," Diana said. "Look at what you have done. You've killed the only other Gargoyle remaining besides you! Neona would have let you live, but I can't say I will be so merciful."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

J'onn went over to help Diana. Batman knelt on the ground, clutching Neona's body and crying. This was too much. He often felt as if his whole life centered around death. The murder of his parents...the slaying of his partner, Jason Todd...and now the death of Neona. All those close to him...all gone...He couldn't take it anymore. He was sick of all the death, all those he loved that had died. He just wanted to give up...to die and end the suffering...  
He then remembered something he had once told a man who had wanted the same thing. "Life must always go on," he had said. "The dead are beyond pain...but the living deserve to be spared as much of it as possible." But now, he wasn't so sure he believed that anymore. Was it really worth living when those close to him always got hurt?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Flash ran through the building and found the hallway that led to where Neona and the others were. He stopped in front of the door and saw Superman lying on the ground, unconscious. He set down GL and Hawkgirl and knelt at his friend's side.   
"Hey, Supes, wake up," he said softly. He looked at his friend's comatose body, and noticed a small electronic evice on the back of his neck. "What's this?" he asked, pointing it out to GL.  
"That's probably what Argon has been using to control him," GL answered. "Neona would know how to deactivate it...Neona..."  
"Leave him," Hawkgirl said. "Wonder Woman may need our help against Argon."  
The three of them rushed through the door and hurried to help Wonder Woman fight Argon.   
"No!" Argon yelled. "You're wrong, woman! I am NO Gargoyle! I am a Kryptonian!" He pulled Diana toward him and and kicked her into the far wall. He freed himself from the lasso and threw it at Flash's feet. The Scarlet Speedster became entangled in the lasso, and he tripped, hitting his head on the ground and passing out cold. Green Lantern shot beams of green light at Argon, who dodged each beam with ease. However, Hawkgirl caught him by surprise when she hit him from behind with her mace. Argon fell through the floor to the next lowest level of the buidling.   
J'onn went ghost, sank through the floor, and resolidified in front of Argon. The villain rose to his feet and attempted to punch the Martian. J'onn went intangible again, and Argon's fist went straight through him. Argon pulled back and his eyes glowed furiously. J'onn resolidified and punched at Argon. Argon shot beams of heat vision at J'onn, causing the Martian to recoil. Argon pulled a small device from his pocket and pressed a button on it. He turned the dial up to 100% and then returned the device to his pocket.   
Hawkgirl joined J'onn on the lower level and the two of them fought Argon. Hawkgirl would swing her mace at him and if he would dodge, J'onn would hit him with a punch or a kick. Then, GL finally joined them. The fight seemed to be never ending.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Flash woke up and untangled himself from Wonder Woman's lasso. He rushed over to Batman's side. He looked down at Neona's cold, dead body. She didn't draw breath, she didn't move at all. He knew the truth: she was dead.  
"Hey...Bats..." he said softly. "You gonna be okay?"  
"She's going to be fine," Batman whispered. He touched his forehead to hers. "She's just unconscious. She's going to be fine. She'll wake up soon."  
"Batman...she's gone..." Flash said, trying to console his friend. "She's not going to wake up. As much as I wish she would, she's not going to."  
"No!" Batman cried, tears streaming down his face. "She's not dead, Flash! Don't say that! She...she..." He couldn't think of what to say. He knew it was true, he knew she was gone, but he refused to accept it. He rocked Neona's body gently, crying all the while.  
"That's right, Bats," Flash said comfortingly. "Let out your grief, don't be ashamed. I'm here for ya, buddy. I'm here." Flash knelt next to Batman and put his arm around him. He wanted so badly to be able to bring Neona back...he hated seeing Batman this way...but he knew there was nothing he could do.

Chapter 62

Argon was growing tired of this. He was actually having a hard time fighting these INSECTS!! Why was he having so much trouble?  
Argon glanced angrily from Leaguer to Leaguer, trying to find out a weakness. This was frustrating.

Chapter 63

"You'll all die!" Argon yelled, shooting beams of heat vision at the three Leaguers who were attacking him. "You'll die for all of your lies! I am NO Gargoyle! I am not one of those MONSTERS! I am a Kryptonian!"  
"Oh, shut up!" Hawkgirl yelled, whacking Argon in the back with her mace. He fell to the ground in pain, barely able to move. Hawkgirl landed next to him and held him down with her foot on his injured back and her mace hovering above his head.  
J'onn landed next to Hawkgirl and looked at Argon. The Martian's eyes glowed as he looked into the villain's mind, reading into his past. He showed Argon defeats by Neona, his torturing at the hands of the Gargoyles, and made Argon feel the pain as he had when the events had taken place. Argon's body jerked violently from the pain he felt, and he soon fell unconscious.  
Green Lantern landed next to his teammates and they all looked at Argon.  
"Now what?" GL asked. "We can't take him to the police. They won't be able to hold a creature this powerful."  
"You guard him," J'onn instructed. "Hawkgirl and I will go back up and gather the others. We will have to keep Argon at the Watchtower."  
"Gotcha," GL confirmed. He used his ring to create a strong cage around Argon. J'onn and Hawkgirl flew up to the next level.  
"Did you guys beat him?" Flash asked as J'onn and Hawkgirl landed next to him and Batman.   
"For the time being, yes," J'onn answered. He motioned for Flash to get up. Flash did so and walked over to them.  
"How is he?" J'onn asked, referring to Batman.  
"He's hysterical," Flash whispered sadly. "He's convinced that Neona is going to wake up. He just won't accept the fact that she's gone...I'm not even sure I can..."  
"Go help Diana with Superman," Hawkgirl said. Flash sped over to Wonder Woman.  
"What are we gonna do?" Hawkgirl asked J'onn quietly. They looked at Batman. He was holding Neona, hugging her close, his eyes closed.  
"I'll try to talk some sense into him," J'onn offered. He approached Batman. "Batman?"  
"J'onn..." Batman said quietly. "She'll be all right. Tell Flash that she'll be all right. He keeps saying that she's dead, but I know it isn't true. She just fainted, that's all. She'll be fine..."  
"Batman, listen to me," J'onn said, helping the Dark Knight to his feet. "She IS dead. She won't wake up. She is gone. There is nothing we can do."  
"J'onn...no...she's fine...she's..." Batman looked at J'onn, eyes wide.  
"Batman, accept the truth," J'onn begged him.  
"I...I was crazy, you know that?" Batman said. "Crazy for wanting her to stay out of trouble, for not wanting her to become hard like Argon. If she'd have been tougher, she would probably still be alive. She'd have fought Argon with everything she had...she'd have killed him..."  
"Batman..." Hawkgirl said, stepping toward him and looking into his eyes sadly.  
"That's what you get, isn't it?" he whispered at Neona. "****it, Neona...why did you have to die?" He cried over her one final time. He then lifted her face to his, and his lips touched her own, which still felt warm. He gave her one final kiss, into which he poured all the passion and love he could muster. He lifted his head and smiled sadly at her dead body. He shed one final tear, which hit Neona's lips. Batman then, finally, accepted the fact that Neona, whom he had loved more than anything or anyone he had before, was gone.

Chapter 64


End file.
